GIFT  OF 
Ella  Sterling  Mighels 


THE 

YELLOW 
FAIRY     BOOK 

by 


AUDREW     LANG 


GOSSET  &  DUNLAP 


DEDICATION 

TO 

JOAN,  TODDLES,  AND  TINY. 

Books  Yellow,  Bed,  and  Green,  and  Blue^ 
All  true,  or  just  aB  good  as  true, 
And  here's  the  Yellow  Book  for  you! 

Hard  is  the  path  from  A  to  Z, 
And  puzzling  to  a  curly  head, 
Yet  leads  to  Books— Green,  Blue,  and  Keel, 

For  every  child  should  understand 
That  Letters  from  the  first  were  planned 
To  guide  us  into  Fairy  Land. 

So  labor  at  your  Alphabet, 

For  by  that  learning  shall  you  get 

To  lands  where  Fairies  may  be  met. 

And  going  where  this  pathway  goes, 
You  too,  at  last,  may  find— who  knows ?«» 
The  Garden  of  the  Singing  Rose. 


137 

*..^  I  $    [   7 

«/  '  '^nMLbA 

TlTLt,  :  i,  '  • :'  •  v  S4UPOOW4, 

X' 


PREFACE. 


The  editor  thinks  that  children  will  readily  forgive  him 
for  publishing  another  fairy  book.  We  have  had  the  Blue, 
the  Red,  the  Green,  and  here  is  the  Yellow.  If  children  are 
pleased,  the  editor  does  not  care  very  much  for  what  other 
people  may  say.  Now,  there  is  one  gentleman  who  seems  to 
think  that  it  is  not  quite  right  to  print  so  many  fairy  tales, 
with  pictures,  and  to  publish  them  in  red  and  blue  covers. 
He  is  named  Mr.  G.  Laurence  Gomme,  and  he  is  president  of 
a  learned  body  called  the  Folk  Lore  Society.  Once  a  year 
he  makes  his  address  to  his  subjects,  of  whom  the  editor  is 
one,  and  Mr.  Joseph  Jacobs  (who  has  published  many  de- 
lightful fairy  tales  with  pretty  pictures)  is  another.  Fancy, 
then,  the  dismay  of  Mr.  Jacobs  and  of  the  editor  when  they 
heard  their  president  say  that  he  did  not  think  it  very  nice 
in  them  to  publish  fairy  books,  above  all,  red,  green,  and  blue 
fairy  books !  They  said  that  they  did  not  see  any  harm  in  it, 
and  they  were  ready  to  "  put  themselves  on  their  country  " 
and  be  tried  by  a  jury  of  children.  And,  indeed,  they  still 
see  no  harm  in  what  they  have  done;  nay,  like  Father  Wil- 
liam in  the  poem,  they  are  ready  "  to  do  it  again  and  again." 

Where  is  the  harm?  The  truth  is  that  the  Folk  Lore  So- 
ciety— made  up  of  the  most  clever,  learned,  and  beautiful 
men  and  women  of  the  country — is  fond  of  studying  the 
history  and  geography  of  Fairyland.  This  is  contained  in 
very  old  tales,  such  as  country  people  tell,  and  savages : 

"Little  Sioux  and  little  Crow, 
Little  frosty  Eskimo." 

These  people  are  thought  to  know  most  about  Fairyland 
and  its  inhabitants.  But  in  the  "  Yellow  Fairy  IJook  "  and 
the  rest  are  many  tales  by  persons  who  are  neither  savages 
nor  rustics,  such  as  Madame  D'Aulnoy  and  Herr  Hans 
Christian  Andersen.  The  Folk  Lore  Society,  or  its  presi- 
dent, say  that  their  tales  are  not  so  true  as  the  rest  and 
should  not  be  published  with  the  rest.  But  we  say  that  all 


viii  PREFACE. 

the  stories  which  are  pleasant  to  read  are  quite  true  enough 
for  us ;  so  here  they  are,  with  pictures  by  Mr.  Ford,  and  we 
do  not  think  that  either  the  pictures  or  the  stories  are  likely 
to  mislead  children. 

As  to  whether  there  are  really  any  fairies  or  not,  that  w 
a  difficult  question.  Professor  Huxley  thinks  there  arei 
none.  The  editor  never  saw  any  himself,  but  he  knows 
several  people  who  have  seen  them — in  the  Highlands — and 
heard  their  music.  If  ever  you  are  in  Nether  Lochaber 
go  to  the  Fairy  Hill  and  you  may  hear  the  music  yourself, 
as  grown-up  people  have  done,  but  you  must  go  on  a  fine  day. 
Again,  if  there  are  really  no  fairies,  why  do  people  believe 
in  them  all  over  the  world?  The  ancient  Greeks  believed, 
so  did  the  old  Egyptians,  and  the  Hindoos,  and  the  red 
Indians;  and  is  it  likely,  if  there  are  no  fairies,  that  so 
many  different  peoples  would  have  seen  and  heard  them? 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Baring-Gould  saw  several  fairies  when  he  was 
a  boy  and  was  traveling  in  the  land  of  the  Troubadours. 
For  these  reasons  the  editor  thinks  that  there  are  certainly 
fairies,  but  they  never  do  anyone  any  harm;  and  in  England 
they  have  been  frightened  away  by  smoke  and  schoolmasters. 
As  to  giants,  they  have  died  out,  but  real  dwarfs  are  common 
in  the  forests  of  Africa.  Probably  a  good  many  stories 
not  perfectly  true  have  been  told  about  fairies,  but  such 
stories  have  also  been  told  about  Napoleon,  Claverhouse, 
Julius  Csesar,  and  Joan  of  Arc,  all  of  whom  certainly  ex- 
isted. A  wise  child  will,  therefore,  remember  that  if  he 
grows  up  and  becomes  a  member  of  the  Folk  Lore  Society, 
all  the  tales  in  this  book  were  not  offered  to  him  as  abso- 
lutely truthful,  but  were  printed  merely  for  his  entertain- 
ment. The  exact  facts  he  can  learn  later  or  he  can  leave 
them  alone. 

Mr.  Ford  did  the  pictures,  and  it  is  hoped  that  children 
will  find  the  book  not  less  pleasing  than  those  which  have 
already  been  submitted.  The  editor  cannot  say  "good- 
by"  without  advising  them,  as  they  pursue  their  studies, 
to  read  <JUT^  ^fW  grir>  tft*31-- J***^ "  by  the  late  Mr.  ThacJ&a. 
eray,  with  pictures  by  the,author.  This  book  he  tKmSs  quite 
indisp^s^Meiiae^ery'cnild's  library,  and  parents  should  be 
urged  to  purchase  it  at  the  first  opportunity,  as  without  it 
no  education  is  complete.  A.  LANG. 


*    /- 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

THE  CAT  AND  THE  MOUSE  IN  PARTNERSHIP,         ...  1 

THE  Six  SWANS £ 

THE  DRAGON  OF  THE  NORTH, 10 

THE  EMPEROR'S  NEW  CLOTHES, 24 

THE  GOLDEN  CRAB, 28 

THE  IRON  STOVE,      , 36 

THE  DRAGON  AND  His  GRANDMOTHER.  ....        e  42 

THE  DONKEY  CABBAGS, 46 

THE  LITTLE  GREEN  FROG, 54 

THE  SEVEN-HEADED  SERPENT, 65 

THE  GRATEFUL  BEASTS, ..70 

THE  GIANTS  AND  THE  HERD-BOY 81 

XHK  INVISIBT,F.  F RTWJF.,. 84 

THE  CROW,        ...........  101 

Ho\v  Six  MEN  TRAVELED  THROUGH  THE  WIDE  WORLD,     .  104 

THE  WIZARD  KING, .  109 

THE  NIXY, 117 

THE  GLASS  MOUNTAIN 122 

ALPMEGE  ;  OR,  THE  GREEN  MONKEY, 127 

FAIREU-THAN-A-FAIRY, «,  133 

THE  THREE  BROTHERS,    .        .        .         .        .                 .        .  141 

THE  BOY  AND  THE  WOLVES  ;  OR,  THE  BROKEN  PROMISE,     .  145 

THE  GLASS  Ax, .  148 

THE  DEAD  WIFE 157 

Ix  THE  LAND  OF  SOULS,            .                159 

THE  WHITE  DUCK,            . 162 

is. 


X  CONTENTS. 

PAQB 

THE  WITCH  AND  HER  SERVANTS, 168 

THE  MAGIC  RING,     ..«,...,..  188 

THE  FLOWER  QUEEN'S  DAUGHTER,          *       ....  202 

THE  FLYING  SHIP, 209 

THE  SNOW-DAUGHTER  AND  THE  FIRE-SON,    ....  218 

THE  STORY  OF  KING  FROST, 222 

THE  DEATH  OP  THE  SUN-HERO, 225 

THE  WITCH 229 

THE  HAZEL-NUT  CHILD, 234 

BIG  KLAUS  AND  LITTLE  KLAUS, 237 

PRINCE  RING, 250 

THE  SWINEHERD, 263 

How  TO  TELL  A  TRUE  PRINCESS, 268 

THE  BLUE  MOUNTAINS, 270 

THE  TINDER-BOX, 281 

THE  WITCH  IN  THE  STONE  BOAT, 289 

THUMBELINA,. 296 

THE  NIGHTINGALE, 308 

HERMOD  AND  HADVOR,     .        >        .        .        .        .        „        .317 

THE  STEADFAST  TIN  SOLDIER, 325 

BLOCKHEAD  HANS, 330 

A  STORY  ABOUT  A  DARNING  NEEDLE,    •       .       .       .  336 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


THE  CAT  AND  THE  MOUSE  IN  PARTNERSHIP. 

A  cat  had  made  acquaintance  with  a  mouse,  and  had 
spoken  so  much  of  the  great  love  and  friendship  she  felt  for 
her  that  at  last  the  mouse  consented  to  live  in  the  same 
house  with  her  and  to  go  shares  in  the  housekeeping. 

"  But  we  must  provide  for  the  winter  or  else  we  shall 
suffer     hunger,"     said     the     cat. 
"  You,   little  mouse,   cannot  ven- 
ture everywhere  in  case  you  run 
at  last  into  a  trap." 

This  good  counsel  was  followed, 
and  a  little  pot  of  fat  was  bought. 
But  they  did  not  know  where  to 
put  it.  At  length,  after  long  con- 
sultation, the  cat  said: 

"  I  know  of  no  place  where  it 
could  be  better  put  than  in  the 
church.  No  one  will  trouble  to  take  it  away  from  there.  We 
will  hide  it  in  a  corner,  and  we  won't  touch  it  till  we  are 
in  want." 

So  the  little  pot  was  placed  in  safety;  but  it  was  not 
long  before  the  cat  had  a  great  longing  for  it  and  said  to 
the  mouse: 

"I  wanted  to  tell  you,  little  mouse,  that  rny  cousin  has 
a  little  son,  white  with  brown  spots,  and  she  wants  me  to 
be  godmother  of  it.  Let  me  go  out  to-day,  and  do  you  take 
care  of  the  house  alone." 

"Yes,  go  certainly,"  replied  the  mouse;  "and  when  you 
eat  anything  good,  think  of  me.  I  should  very  much  like 
a  drop  of  the  red  christening  wine." 


THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 


Ent  it  V7#$  alj  imtrue.  The  cat  had  no  cousin  and  had  not 
been  asked  to '  be '  godmother.  She  went  straight  to  the 
church,  slunk  to  the  little  pot  of  fat,  began  to  lick  it,  and 
licked  the  top  off.  Then  she  took  a  walk  on  the  roofs  of 
the  town,  looked  at  the  view,  stretched  herself  out  in  the 
sun,  and  licked  her  lips  whenever  she  thought  of  the  little 
pot  of  fat.  As  soon  as  it  was  evening  she  went  home  again. 
"Ah,  here  you  are  again!"  said  the  mouse;  "you  must 
certainly  nave  had  an  enjoyable  day." 

"It  went  off  very  well," 
answered  the  cat. 

"What    was    the    child's 
name  ?  "    asked  the  mouse. 
"Top   Off,"  said  the  cat 
dryly. 

"Topoff!"  echoed  the 
mouse;   ,"it  is  indeed  a 
wonderful    and    curious 
Is  it  in  your  fam- 


name. 
ily?" 

"What  is  there  odd 
about  it?"  said  the  cat. 
"It  is  not  worse  than  Breadthief,  as  your  godchild  is 
called." 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  another  great  longing  came 
over  the  cat.  So  she  said  to  the  mouse: 

"  You  must  again  be  kind  enough  to  look  after  the  house 
alone,  for  I  have  been  asked  a  second  time  to  stand  god- 
mother, and  as  this  child  has  a  white  ring  round  its  neck 
I  cannot  refuse." 

The  kind  mouse  agreed ;  but  the  cat  slunk  under  the  town 
wall  to  the  church  and  ate  up  half  of  the  pot  of  fat. 

"  Nothing  tastes  better,"  said  she,  "  than  what  one  eats 
by  one's  self,"  and  she  was  very  much  pleased  with  her  day's 
work.  When  she  came  home  the  mouse  asked: 

"What  was  this  child  called?" 

"Half  Gone,"  answered  the  cat. 

"Half gone!  what  a  name!  I  have  never  heard  it  in  my 
life.  I  don't  believe  it  is  in  the  calendar." 

Soon  the  cat's  mouth  began  to  water  once  more  after  her 
licking  business. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


3 


"  All  good  things  in  threes,"  she  said  to  the  mouse.  "  I 
have  again  to  stand  godmother.  The  child  is  quite  black 
and  has  very  white  paws,  but  not  a  single  white  hair  on  its 
body.  This  only  happens  once  in  two  years,  so  you  will  let 
me  go  out  ?  " 

"  Topoff !  Half  gone !  "  repeated  the  mouse ;  "  they  are 
such  curious  names;  they  make  me  very  thoughtful." 

"  Oh,  you  sit  at  home  in  your  dark  gray  coat  and  your 
long  tail,"  said  the  cat,  "  and  you  get  fanciful.  That  comes 
of  not  going  out  in  the  day." 

The  mouse  had  a  good  cleaning  out  while  the  cat  was 


gone,  and  made  the  house  tidy;  but  the  greedy  cat  ate  the 
fat  every  bit  up. 

"  When  it  is  all  gone  one  can  be  at  rest,"  she  said  to  her- 
self, and  at  night  she  came  home  sleek  and  satisfied.  The 
mouse  asked  at  once  after  the  third  child's  name. 

"It  won't  please  you  any  better,"  said  the  cat;  "he  was 
called  Clean  Gone." 

"  Cleangone !  "  repeated  the  mouse.  "  I  do  not  believe 
that  name  has  been  printed  any  more  than  the  others. 
Cleangone!  What  can  it  mean?"  She  shook  her  head, 
curled  herself  up,  and  went  to  sleep. 

From  this  time  on  no  asked  the  cat  to  stand  godmother; 
but  when  the  winter  came  and  there  was  nothing  to  be  got 
outside,  the  mouse  remembered  their  provision  and  said: 

"  Come,  cat,  we  will  go  to  our  pot  of  fat  which  we  have 
stored  away;  it  will  taste  very  good." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  answered  the  cat;  "it  will  taste  as  good 


4  THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

to  you  as  if  you  stretched  your  thin  tongue  out  of  the 
window." 

They  started  off,  and  when  they  reached  it  they  found  the 
pot  in  its  place,  but  quite  empty! 

"  Ah,"  said  the  mouse,  "  now  I  know  what  has  happened ! 
It  has  all  come  out!  You  are  a  true  friend  to  me!  You 
have  eaten  it  all  when  you  stood  godmother;  first  the  top 

off,  then  half  of  it  gone,  then " 

"  "  Will  you  be  quiet !  "  screamed  the  cat.    "  Another  word 
and  I  will  eat  you  up." 

"  Cleangone "  was  already  on  the  poor  mouse's  tongue, 
and  scarcely  was  it  out  than  the  cat  made  a  spring  at  her, 
seized  and  swallowed  her. 

You  see  that  is  the  way  of  the  world. 

THE  SIX  SWANS. 

A  king  was  once  hunting  in  a  great  wood,  and  he  hunted 
the  game  so  eagerly  that  none  of  his  courtiers  could  follow 
him.  When  evening  came  on  he  stood  still  and  looked  round 
him,  and  he  saw  that  he  had  quite  lost  himself.  He 
sought  a  way  out,  but  could  find  none.  Then  he  saw  an 
old  woman  with  a  shaking  head  coming  toward  him;  but 
she  was  a  witch. 

"  Good  woman,"  he  said  to  her,  "  can  you  not  show  me 
the  way  out  of  the  wood  ? " 

"  Oh,  certainly,  Sir  King,"  she  replied,  "  I  can  quite  well 
do  that,  but  on  one  condition,  which  if  you  do  not  fulfill 
you  will  never  get  out  of  the  wood  and  will  die  of  hunger." 

"  What  is  the  condition  ?  "  asked  the  king. 

"I  have  a  daughter,"  said  the  old  woman,  "who  is  so 
beautiful  that  she  has  not  her  equal  in  the  world,  and  is 
well  fitted  to  be  your  wife.  If  you  will  make  her  lady- 
queen  I  will  show  you  the  way  out  of  the  wood." 

The  king  in  his  anguish  of  mind  consented,  and  the  old 
woman  led  him  to  her  little  house,  where  her  daughter  was 
sitting  by  the  fire.  She  received  the  king  as  if  she  were 
expecting  him,  and  he  law  that  she  was  certainly  very 
beautiful;  but  she  did  not  please  him,  and  he  could  not 
look  at  her  without  a  secret  feeling  of  horror.  As  soon  as 
he  had  lifted  the  maiden  on  to  his  horse  the  old  woman 


6  THE   YELLOW   FAlBY    BOOK. 

showed  him  the  way,  and  the  king  reached  his  palace,  where 
the  wedding  was  celebrated. 

The  king  had  already  been  married  once,  and  had  by  his 
first  wife  seven  children,  six  boys  and  one  girl;  whom  he 
loved  more  than  anything  in  the  world.  And  now,  because 
he  was  afraid  that  their  stepmother  might  not  treat  them 
well  and  might  do  them  harm,  he  put  them  in  a  lonely 
castle  that  stood  in  the  middle  of  a  wood.  It  lay  so  hidden, 
and  the  way  to  it  was  so  hard  to  find,  that  he  himself  could 
not  have  found  it  out  had  not  a  wise  woman  given  him  a 
reel  of  thread  which  possessed  a  marvelous  property: 
when  he  threw  it  before  him  it  unwound  itself  and  showed 
him  the  way.  But  the  king  went  so  often  to  his  dear  chil- 
dren that  the  queen  was  offended  at  his  dbsence.  She  grew 
curious  and  wanted  to  know  what  he  had  to  do  quite  alone 
in  the  wood.  She  gave  his  servants  a  great  deal  of  money, 
and  they  betrayed  his  secret  to  her,  and  also  told  her  of  the 
reel  which  alone  could  point  out  the  way.  She  had  no  rest 
now  till  she  had  found  out  where  the  king  guarded  the  reel, 
and  then  she  made  some  little  white  shirts  and,  as  she  had 
learned  from  her  witch  mother,  sewed  an  enchantment  in 
each  of  them. 

And  when  the  king  had  ridden  off  she  took  the  little 
shirts  and  went  into  the  wood,  and  the  reel  showed  her  the 
way.  The  children,  who  saw  someone  coming  in  the  dis- 
tance, thought  it  was  their  dear  father  coming  to  them,  and 
sprang  to  meet  him  very  joyfully.  Then  she  threw  over 
each  one  a  little  shirt,  which  when  it  had  touched  their 
bodies  changed  them  into  swans,  and  they  flew  away  over 
the  forests.  The  queen  went  home  quite  satisfied  and 
thought  she  had  got  rid  of  her  stepchildren;  but  the  girl 
had  not  run  to  meet  her  with  her  brothers;  and  she  knew 
nothing  of  her. 

The  next  day  the  king  came  to  visit  his  children,  but  he 
found  no  one  but  the  girL 

"  Where  are  your  brothers  ? "  asked  the  king. 

"  Alas !  dear  father,"  she  answered,  "  they  have  gone  away 
and  left  me  all  alone." 

And  she  told  him  that  looking  out  of  her  little  window 
she  had  seen  her  brothers  flying  over  the  wood  in  the  shape 
of  swans,  and  she  showed  him  the  feathers  which  they 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK. 


had  let  fall  in  the  yard  and  which  she  had  collected. 
The  king  mourned,  but  he  did  not  think  that  the  queen 
had  done  the  wicked  deed,  and  as  he  was  afraid  the  maiden 
would  also  be  taken  from  him,  he  wanted  to  take  her  with 
him.  But  she  was  afraid  of  her  stepmother,  and  begged  the 
king  to  let  her  stay  just  one  night  more  in  the  castle  in  the 
wood.  The  poor  maiden  thought,  "  My  home  is  no  longer 

here.  I  will  go  and 
seek  my  brother  s." 
And  when  night  came 
she  fled  away  into  the 
forest.  She  ran  all 
through  the  night  and 
the  next  day,  till  she 
could  go  no  further 
for  weariness.  Then 
she  saw  a  little  hut, 
went  in,  and  found  a 
room  with  six  little 
beds.  She  was  afraid 
to  lie  down  on  one,  so 
she  crept  under  one  of 
them,  lay  on  the  hard 
floor,  and  was  going  to 
spend  the  night  there. 
But  when  the  sun 
had  set  she  heard  a 
noise  and  saw  six 
swans  flying  in  at  the 
window.  They  stood 
on  the  floor  and  blew 
at  one  another,  and 
blew  all  their  feathers 
off,  and  their  swan- 
skin came  off  like  a 
shirt.  Then  the 
maiden  recognized  her 
And  then  her  dress.  brothers,  and  o  v  e  r- 

joyed  she  crept  out  from  under  the  bed.  Her  brothers  were 
not  less  delighted  than  she  to  see  their  little  sister  again, 
but  their  joy  did  not  last  long. 


8  THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

"  You  cannot  stay  here,"  they  said  to  her.  "  This  a  den 
of  robbers.  If  they  were  to  come  here  and  find  you  they 
would  kill  you." 

"  Could  you  not  protect  me  ? "  asked  the  little  sister. 

"  No,"  they  answered,  "  for  we  can  only  lay  aside  our 
swan-skins  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  every  evening.  For  this 
time  we  regain  our  human  forms,  but  then  we  axe  changed 
into  swans  again." 

Then  the  little  sister  cried  and  said :  "  Can  you  not  be 
freed?" 

"  Oh,  no,"  they  said,  "  the  conditions  are  too  hard.  You 
must  not  speak  or  laugh  for  six  years,  and  must  make  in 
that  time  six  shirts  for  us  out  of  star-flowers.  If  a  single 
word  comes  out  of  your  mouth,  all  your  labor  is  vain."  And 
when  the  brothers  had  said  this  the  quarter  of  an  hour  came 
to  an  end,  and  they  flew  away  out  of  the  window  as  swans. 

But  the  maiden  had  determined  to  free  her  brothers  even 
if  it  should  cost  her  her  life.  She  left  the  hut,  went  into 
the  forest,  climbed  a  tree,  and  spent  the  night  there.  The 
next  morning  she  went  out,  collected  star-flowers,  and 
began  to  sew.  She  could  speak  to  no  one,  and  she  had  no 
wish  to  laugh,  so  she  sat  there,  looking  only  at  her  work. 

When  she  had  lived  there  some  time,  it  happened  that  the 
king  of  the  country  was  hunting  in  the  forest,  and  his 
hunters  came  to  the  tree  on  which  the  maiden  sat.  They 
called  to  her  and  said: 

"Who  are  you?" 

But  she  gave  no  answer. 

"  Come  down  to  us,"  they  said.     "We'll  do  you  no  harm." 

But  she  shook  her  head  silently.  As  they  pressed  her 
further  with  questions,  she  threw  them  the  golden  chain 
from  her  neck.  But  they  did  not  leave  off,  and  she  threw 
them  her  girdle,  and  when  this  was  no  use,  her  garters,  and 
then  her  dress.  The  huntsmen  would  not  leave  her  alone, 
but  climbed  the  tree,  lifted  the  maiden  down,  and  led  her 
to  the  king.  The  king  asked: 

"  Who  are  you  ?     What  are  you  doing  up  that  tree  ? " 

But  she  answered  nothing. 

He  asked  her  in  all  the  languages  he  knew,  but  she 
remained  as  dumb  as  a  fish.  Because  she  was  so  beautiful, 
kowever,  the  king's  heart  was  touched  and  he  was  seized 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.  V 

with  a  great  love  for  her.  He  wrapped  her  up  in  his  cloak, 
placed  her  before  him  on  his  horse,  and  brought  her  to  his 
castle.  There  he  had*  her  dressed  in  rich  clothes,  and  her 
beauty  shone  out  as  bright  as  day,  but  not  a  word  could  be 
drawn  from  her.  He  sat  her  at  table  by  his  side,  and  her 
modest  ways  and  behavior  pleased  him  so  much  that  he 
said,  "  I  jvill  marry  this  maiden  and  none  other  in  the 
world,"  and  after  some  days  he  married  her.  But  the  king 
had  a  wicked  mother  who  was  displeased  with  the  marriage 
and  said  wicked  things  of  the  young  queen. 

"  Who  knows  who  this  girl  is  ? "  she  said.  "  She  cannot 
speak  and  is  not  worthy  of  a  king." 

After  a  year,  when  the  queen  had  her  first  child,  the 
old  mother  took  it  away  from  her.  Then  she  went  to  the 
king  and  said  that  the  queen  had  killed  it.  The  king 
would  not  believe  it  and  would  not  allow  any  harm  to  bo 
be  done  her.  But  she  sat  quietly  sewing  at  the  shirts  and 
troubling  herself  about  nothing.  The  next  time  she  had 
a  child  the  wicked  mother  did  the  same  thing,  but  the 
king  could  not  make  up  his  mind  to  believe  her.  He  said: 

"  She  is  too  sweet  and  good  to  do  such  a  thing  as  that. 
If  she  were  not  dumb  and  could  defend  herself,  her  inno- 
cence would  be  proved." 

But  when  the  third  child  was  taken  away  and  the  queen 
was  again  accused  and  could  not  utter  a  word  in  her  own 
defense,  the  king  was  obliged  to  give  her  ovej*  to  the  law, 
which  decreed  that  she  must  be  burned  to  death.  When 
the  day  came  on  which  the  sentence  was  to  be  executed, 
it  was  the  last  day  of  the  six  years  in  which  she  must  not 
speak  or  laugh,  and  now  she  had  freed  her  dear  brothers 
from  the  power  of  the  enchantment.  The  six  shirts  were 
done ;  there  was  only  the  left  sleeve  wanting  to  the  last. 

When  she  was  led  to  the  stake  she  laid  the  shirts  on  her 
arm,  and  as  she  stood  on  the  pile  and  the  fire  was  about 
to  be  lighted,  she  looked  around  her  and  saw  six  swans 
flying  through  the  air.  Then  she  knew  that  her  release 
was  at  hand  and  her  heart  danced  for  joy.  The  swans 
fluttered  round  her  and  hovered  low  so  that  she  could 
throw  the  shirts  over  them.  When  they  had  touched 
them  the  swan-skins  fell  off,  and  her  brothers  stood  before 
her  living,  well  and  beautiful.  Only  the  youngest  had  a 


10          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

swan's  wing  instead  of  his  left  arm.  They  embraced  and 
kissed  each  other,  and  the  queen  went  to  the  king,  who  was 
standing  by  in  great  astonishment,  and  began  to  speak  to 
him,  saying: 

"Dearest  husband,  now  I  can  speak  and  tell  you  openly 
that  I  am  innocent  and  have  been  falsely  accused." 

She  told  him  of  the  old  woman's  deceit,  and  how  she 
had  taken  the  three  children  away  and  hidden  them.  Then, 
they  were  fetched,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  king,  and  the 
wicked  mother  came  to  no  good  end. 

But  the  king  and  queen  with  their  six  brothers  lived 
many  years  in  happiness  and  peace. 


THE  DRAGON  OF  THE  NORTH* 

Very  long  ago,  as  old  people  have  told  me,  there  lived 
a  terrible  monster  who  came  out  of  the  North  and  laid 
waste  whole  tracts  of  country,  devouring  both  men  and 
beasts;  and  this  monster  was  so  destructive  that  it  was 
feared  that  unless  help  came  no  living  creature  would 
be  left  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  It  had  a  body  like  an  ox 
and  legs  like  a  frog,  two  short  fore  legs  and  two  long  ones 
behind,  and  besides  that  it  had  a  tail  like  a  serpent  ten 
fathoms  in  length.  When  it  moved  it  jumped  like  a  frog, 
and  with  every  spring  it  covered  half  a  mile  of  ground. 
Fortunately  its  habit  was  to  remain  for  several  years  in 
the  same  place,  and  not  to  move  on  till  the  whole  neighbor- 
hood was  eaten  up.  Nothing  could  hurt  it,  because  its 
whole  body  was  covered  with  scales  which  were  harder 
than  stone  or  metal;  its  two  great  eyes  shone  by  night, 
and  even  by  day,  like  the  brightest  lamps,  and  anyone  who 
had  the  ill-luck  to  look  into  those  eyes  became  as  it 
were  bewitched  and  was  obliged  to  rush  of  his  own  accord 
into  the  monster's  jaws.  In  this  way  the  dragon  was  able 
to  feed  upon  both  men  and  beasts  without  the  least  trouble 
to  itself,  as  it  needed  not  to  move  from  the  spot  where  it 
was  lying.  All  the  neighboring  kings  had  offered  rich, 
rewards  to  anyone  who  should  be  able  to  destroy  the 
monster,  either  by  force  or  enchantment,  and  many  had 

*  "Der  Norlands  Drache,"  from  "Esthnische  Mahrchen."    Kreutzwald. 


THE    YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK.  11 

tried  tLeir  luck,  and  all  had  miserably  failed.  Once  a 
great  forest  in  which  the  dragon  lay  had  been  set  on  fire;, 
the  forest  was  burned  down,  but  the  fire  did  not  do  the 
monster  the  least  harm.  However,  there  was  a  tradition 
among  the  wise  men  of  the  country  that  the  dragon  might 
be  overcome  by  one  who  possessed  King  Solomon's  signet- 
ring,  upon  which  a  secret  writing  was  engraved.  This 
inscription  would  enable  anyone  who  was  wise  enough  to 
interpret  it  to  find  out  how  the  dragon  could  be  destroyed. 
Only  no  one  knew  where  the  ring  was  hidden,  nor  was 
there  any  sorcerer  or  learned  man  to  be  found  who  would 
be  able  to  explain  the  inscription. 

At  last  a  young  man,  with  a  good  heart  and  plenty  of 
courage,  set  out  to  search  for  the  ring.  He  took  his  way 
toward  the  sun-rising,  because  he  knew  that  all  the  wis- 
dom of  old  times  comes  from  the  East.  After  some  years 
he  met  with  a  famous  Eastern  magician  and  asked  for  his 
advice  in  the  matter.  The  magician  answered : 

"  Mortal  men  have  but  little  wisdom  and  can  give  you 
no  help,  but  the  birds  of  the  air  would  be  better  guides  to 
you,  if  you  could  learn  their  language.  I  can  help  you  to 
understand  it  if  you  will  stay  with  me  a  few  days." 

The  youth  thankfully  accepted  the  magician's  offer  and 
said :  "  I  cannot  now  offer  you  any  reward  for  your  kind- 
ness, but  should  my  undertaking  succeed  your  trouble  shall 
be  richly  repaid." 

Then  the  magician  brewed  a  powerful  potion  out  of  nine 
sorts  of  herbs  which  he  had  gathered  himself  all  alone  by 
moonlight,  and  gave  the  youth  nine  spoonfuls  of  it  daily 
for  three  days,  which  made  him  able  to  understand  the 
language  of  birds. 

At  parting  the  magician  said  to  him:  "If  you  ever  find 
Solomon's  ring  and  get  possession  of  it,  then  come  back 
to  me,  that  I  may  explain  the  inscription  on  the  ring  to  you, 
for  there  is  no  one  else  in  the  world  who  can  do  this." 

From  that  time  the  youth  never  felt  lonely  as  he  walked 
along;  he  always  had  company,  because  he  understood  the 
language  of  birds;  and  in  this  way  he  learned  many  things 
which  mere  human  knowledge  could  never  have  taught 
him.  But  time  went  on  and  he  heard  nothing  about  the 
ring.  It  happened  one  evening,  when  he  was  hot  and 


12          THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

tired  with  walking  and  had  sat  down  under  a  tree  in  a 
forest  to  eat  his  supper,  that  he  saw  two  gayly  plumaged 
birds  that  were  strange  to  him  sitting  at  the  top  of  the  tree, 
talking  to  one  another  about  him.  The  first  bird  said : 

"  I  know  that  wandering  fool  under  the  tree  there,  who 
has  come  so  far  without  finding  what  he  seeks.  He  is  try- 
ing to  find  King  Solomon's  lost  ring." 

The  old  bird  answered:  "He  will  have  to  seek  help 
from  the  witch-maiden,*  who  will  doubtless  be  able  to  put 
him  on  the  right  track.  If  she  has  not  got  the  ring  herself, 
she  knows  well  enough  who  has  it." 

"  But  where  is  he  to  find  the  witch-maiden  ? "  said  the 
first  bird.  "  She  has  110  settled  dwelling,  but  is  here  to- 
day and  gone  to-morrow.  He  might  as  well  try  to  catch  the 
wind." 

The  other  replied :  "I  do  not  know,  certainly,  where 
she  is  at  present,  but  in  three  nights  from  now  she  will 
come  to  the  spring  to  wash  her  face,  as  she  does  every 
month  when  the  moon  is  full,  in  order  that  she  may  never 
grow  old  nor  wrinkled,  but  may  always  keep  the  bloom  of 
youth." 

"  Well,"  said  the  first  bird,  "  the  spring  is  not  far  from 
here.  Shall  we  go  and  see  how  it  is  she  does  it? " 

"  Willingly,  if  you  like,"  said  the  other. 

The  youth  immediately  resolved  to  follow  the  birds  to 
the  spring,  only  two  things  made  him  uneasy,  first,  lest 
he  might  be  asleep  when  the  birds  went,  and  secondly,  lest 
he  might  lose  sight  of  them,  since  he  had  not  wings  to  carry 
him  along  so  swiftly.  He  was  too  tired  to  keep  awake 
all  night,  yet  his  anxiety  prevented  him  from  sleeping 
soundly,  and  when  with  the  earliest  dawn  he  looked  up  to 
the  tree-top,  he  was  glad  to  see  his  feathered  companions 
still  asleep  with  their  heads  under  their  wings.  He  ate  his 
breakfast  and  waited  until  the  birds  should  start,  but  they 
did  not  leave  the  place  all  day.  They  hopped  about  from 
one  tree  to  another  looking  for  food  all  day  long  until  the 
evening,  when  they  went  back  to  their  old  perch  to  sleep. 
The  next  day  the  same  thing  happened,  but  on  the  third 
morning  one  bird  said  to  the  other :  "  To-day  we  must  go 
to  the  spring  to  see  the  witch-maiden  wash  her  face."  They 
remained  on  the  tree  till  noon;  then  they  flew  away  and 
*  Hollenmadchen. 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  13 

went  toward  the  south.  The  young  man's  heart  beat  with 
anxiety  lest  he  should  lose  sight  of  his  guides,  but  he 
managed  to  keep  the  birds  in  view  until  they  again  perched 
upon  a  tree.  The  young  man  ran  after  them  until  he  was 
quite  exhausted  and  out  of  breath,  and  after  three  short 
rests  the  birds  a.t  length  reached  a  small  open  space  in  the 
forest,  on  the  edge  of  which  they  placed  themselves  on  the 
top  of  a  high  tree.  When  the  youth  had  overtaken  them 
he  saw  that  there  was  a  clear  spring  in  the  middle  of  the 
space.  He  sat  down  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  upon  which 
the  birds  were  perched,  and  listened  attentively  to  what  they 
were  saying  to  each  other. 

"The  sun  is  not  down  yet,"  said  the  first  bird.  "We 
must  wait  yet  awhile  till  the  moon  rises  and  the  maiden 
comes  to  the  spring.  Do  you  think  she  will  see  that  young 
man  sitting  near  the  tree  ? " 

"  Nothing  is  likely  to  escape  her  eyes,  certainly  not  a 
young  man,"  said  the  other  bird.  "Will  the  youth  have 
the  sense  not  to  let  himself  be  caught  in  her  toils  ? " 

"  We  will  wait,"  said  the  first  bird,  "  and  see  how  they 
get  on  together." 

The  evening  light  had  quite  faded  and  the  full  moon 
was  already  shining  down  upon  the  forest  when  the  young 
man  heard  a  slight  rustling  sound.  After  a  few  moments 
there  came  out  of  the  forest  a  maiden,  gliding  over  the 
grass  so  lightly  that  her  feet  seemed  scarcely  to  touch  the 
ground,  and  stood  beside  the  spring.  The  youth  could  not 
turn  away  his  eyes  from  the  maiden,  for  he  had  never 
in  his  life  seen  a  woman  so  beautiful.  Without  seeming 
to  notice  anything,  she  went  to  the  spring,  looked  up  to 
the  full  moon,  then  knelt  down  and  bathed  her  face  nine 
times,  then  looked  up  to  the  moon  again  and  walked  nine 
times  round  the  well,  and  as  she  walked  she  sang  this 
song: 

"Full-faced  moon  with  light  unshaded, 

Let  my  beauty  ne'er  be  faded. 

Never  let  my  cheek  grow  pale  ! 

While  the  moon  is  waning  nightly, 

May  the  maiden  bloom  more  brightly, 

May  her  freshness  never  fail ! " 

Then  she  dried  her  face  with  her  long  hair  and  was  about 
to  go  away,  when  her  eye  suddenly  fell  upon  the  spot  where 


14  THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

the  young  man  was  sitting,  and  she  turned  toward  the 
tree.  The  youth  rose  and  stood  waiting.  Then  the  maiden 
said: 

"You  ought  to  have  a  heavy  punishment  because  you 
have  presumed  to  watch  my  secret  doings  in  the  moonlight. 
But  I  will  forgive  you  this  time,  because  you  are  a  stranger 
and  knew  no  better.  But  you  must  tell  me  truly  who  you 
are  and  how  you  came  to  this  place,  where  no  mortal  has 
ever  set  foot  before." 

The  youth  answered  humbly :  "  Forgive  me,  beautiful 
maiden,  if  I  have  unintentionally  offended  you.  I  chanced 
to  come  here  after  long  wandering,  and  found  a  good  place 
to  sleep  under  this  tree.  At  your  coming  I  did  not  know 
what  to  do,  but  stayed  where  I  was,  because  I  thought  my 
silent  watching  could  not  offend  you." 

The  maiden  answered  kindly :  "  Come  and  spend  this 
night  with  us.  You  will  sleep  better  on  a  pillow  than  on 
damp  moss." 

The  youth  hesitated  for  a  little,  but  presently  he  heard 
the  birds  saying  from  the  top  of  the  tree :  "  Go  where  she 
calls  you,  but  take  care  to  give  no  blood,  or  you  will  sell 
your  soul."  So  the  youth  went  with  her,  and  soon  they 
reached  a  beautiful  garden,  where  stood  a  splendid  house, 
which  glittered  in  the  moonlight  as  if  it  was  all  built  out 
of  gold  and  silver.  When  the  youth  entered  he  found 
many  splendid  chambers,  each  one  finer  than  the  last. 
Hundreds  of  tapers  burned  upon  golden  candlesticks  and 
shed  a  light  like  the  brightest  day.  At  length  they  reached 
a  chamber  where  a  table  was  spread  with  the  most 
costly  dishes.  At  the  table  were  placed  two  chairs,  one  of 
silver,  the  other  of  gold.  The  maiden  seated  herself  upon 
the  golden  chair  and  offered  the  silver  one  to  her  com- 
panion. They  were  served  by  maidens  dressed  in  white, 
whose  feet  made  no  sound  as  they  moved  about,  and  not 
a  word  was  spoken  during  the  meal.  Afterward  the  youth 
and  the  witch-maiden  conversed  pleasantly  together  until 
a  woman  dressed  in  red  came  in  to  remind  them  that  it 
was  bedtime.  The  youth  was  now  shown  into  another 
room  containing  a  silken  bed  with  down  cushions,  where 
he  slept  delightfully,  yet  he  seemed  to  hear  a  voice  near 
his  bed  which  to  him :  "  Kemember  to  give  no  blood ! " 


Tho  Witch  Maiden  Sees  the  Young  Man  Under  a  Tree. 


16          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

The  next  morning  the  maiden  asked  him  whether  he  would 
not  like  to  stay  with  her  always  in  this  beautiful  place, 
and  as  he  did  not  answer  immediately  she  continued: 
"  You  see  how  I  always  remain  young  and  beautiful,  and 
I  am  under  no  one's  orders,  but  can  do  just  what  I  like, 
so  that  I  have  never  thought  of  marrying  before.  But  from 
the  moment  I  saw  you  I  took  a  fancy  to  you,  so,  if 
you  agree,  we  might  be  married  and  might  live  together 
like  princes,  because  I  have  great  riches." 

The  youth  could  not  but  be  tempted  with  the  beautiful 
maiden's  offer,  but  he  remembered  how  the  birds  had 
called  her  the  witch,  and  their  warning  always  sounded  in 
his  ears.  Therefore  he  answered  cautiously :  "  Do  not  be 
angry,  dear  maiden,  if  I  do  not  decide  immediately  on  this 
important  matter.  Give  me  a  few  days  to  consider  before 
we  come  to  an  understanding." 

"  Why  not  ? "  answered  the  maiden.  "  Take  some  weeks 
to  consider,  if  you  like,  and  take  counsel  with  your  own 
heart."  And  to  make  the  time  pass  pleasantly,  she  took 
the  youth  over  every  part  of  her  beautiful  dwelling  and 
showed  him  all  her  splendid  treasures.  But  these  treasures 
were  all  produced  by  enchantment,  for  the  maiden  could 
make  anything  she  wished  appear  by  the  help  of  King  Solo- 
mon's signet-ring ;  only  none  of  these  things  remained  fixed ; 
they  passed  away  like  the  wind  without  leaving  a  trace 
behind.  But  the  youth  did  not  know  this;  he  thought  they 
were  all  real. 

One  day  the  maiden  took  him  into  a  secret  chamber, 
where  a  little  gold  box  was  standing  on  a  silver  table. 
Pointing  to  the  box  she  said :  "  Here  is  my  greatest  treas- 
ure, whose  like  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  whole  world. 
It  is  a  precious  gold  ring.  When  you  marry  me  I  will 
give  you  this  ring  as  a  marriage  gift,  and  it  will  make  you 
the  happiest  of  mortal  men.  But  in  order  that  our  love 
may  last  forever,  you  must  give  me  for  the  ring  three  drops 
of  blood  from  the  little  finger  of  your  left  hand." 

When  the  youth  heard  these  words  a  cold  shudder  ran 
over  him,  for  he  remembered  that  his  soul  was  at  stake. 
He  was  cunning  enough,  however,  to  conceal  his  feelings 
and  to  make  no  direct  answer,  but  he  asked  the  maiden, 
as  if  carelessly,  what  was  remarkable  about  the  ring. 


THE  YELLOW  FATRY  BOOK.  17 

She  answered :  "  No  mortal  is  able  entirely  to  under- 
stand the  power  of  this  ring,  because  no  one  thoroughly 
understands  the  secret  signs  engraved  upon  it.  But  even 
with  my  half-knowledge  I  can  work  great  wonders.  If  I 
put  the  ring  upon  the  little  finger  of  my  left  hand,  then  I 
can  fly  like  a  bird  through  the  air  wherever  I  wish  to  go. 
If  I  put  it  on  the  third  finger  of  my  left  hand  I  am  in- 
visible, and  I  can  see  everything  that  passes  around  me, 
though  no  one  can  see  me.  If  I  put  the  ring  upon  the 
middle  finger  of  my  left  hand,  then  neither  fire  nor  water 
nor  any  sharp  weapon  can  hurt  me.  If  I  put  it  on  the 
forefinger  of  my  left  hand,  then  I  can  with  its  help  pro- 
duce whatever  I  wish.  I  can  in  a  single  moment  build 
houses  or  anything  I  desire.  Finally,  as  long  as  I  wear 
the  ring  on  the  thumb  of  my  left  hand,  that  hand  is  so 
strong  that  it  can  break  down  rocks  and  walls.  Besides 
these,  the  ring  has  other  secret  signs  which,  as  I  said,  no 
one  can  understand.  No  doubt  it  contains  secrets  of  great 
importance.  The  ring  formerly  belonged  to  King  Solo- 
mon, the  wisest  of  kings,  during  whose  reign  the  wisest 
men  lived.  But  it  is  not  known  whether  this  ring  was 
ever  made  by  mortal  hands;  it  is  supposed  that  an  angel 
gave  it  to  the  wise  king." 

When  the  youth  heard  all  this  he  determined  to  try  and 
get  possession  of  the  ring,  though  he  did  not  quite  believe 
in  all  its  wonderful  gifts.  He  wished  the  maiden  would 
let  him  have  it  in  his  hand,  but  he  did  quite  not  like  to 
ask  her  to  do  so,  and  after  awhile  she  put  it  back  into  the 
box.  A  few  days  after  they  were  again  speaking  of  the 
magic  ring,  and  the  youth  said :  "  I  do  not  think  it  pos- 
sible that  the  ring  can  have  all  the  power  you  say  it  has." 

Then  the  maiden  opened  the  box  and  took  the  ring  out, 
and  it  glittered,  as  she  held  it,  like  the  clearest  sunbeam. 
She  put  it  on  the  middle  finger  of  her  left  hand,  and  told 
the  youth  to  take  a  knife  and  try  as  hard  as  he  could  to 
out  her  with  it,  for  he  would  not  be  able  to  hurt  her.  He 
was  unwilling  at  first,  but  the  maiden  insisted.  Then  he 
tried,  at  first  only  in  play,  and  then  seriously,  to  strike 
her  with  the  knife,  but  an  invisible  wall  of  iron  seemed 
to  be  between  them,  and  the  maiden  stood  before  him  laugh- 
ing and  unhurt.  Then  she  put  the  ring  on  her  third  finger 


18          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

and  in  an  instant  she  had  vanished  from  his  eyes.  Pres- 
ently she  was  beside  him  again,  laughing  and  holding  the 
ring  between  her  fingers. 

"  Do  let  me  try,"  said  the  youth,  "  whether  I  can  do  these 
wonderful  things." 

The  maiden,  suspecting  no  treachery,  gave  him  the  magic 
ring. 

The  youth  pretended  to  have  forgotten  what  to  do,  and 
asked  what  finger  he  must  put  the  ring  on  so  that  no  sharp 
weapon  could  hurt  him. 

"  Oh,  the  middle  finger  of  your  left  hand,"  the  maiden 
answered,  laughing. 

She  took  the  knife  and  tried  to  strike  the  youth,  and  he 
even  tried  to  cut  himself  with  it,  but  found  it  impossible. 
Then  he  asked  the  maiden  to  show  him  how  to  split 
stones  and  rocks  with  the  help  of  the  ring.  So  she  led 
him  into  a  court-yard  where  stood  a  great  bowlder. 
"JSTow,"  she  said,  "put  the  ring  upon  the  thumb  of  your 
left  hand,  and  you  will  see  how  strong  that  hand  has 
become."  The  youth  did  so,  and  found  to  his  astonish- 
ment that  with  a  single  blow  of  his  fist  the  stone  flew  into 
a  thousand  pieces.  Then  the  youth  bethought  him  that 
he  who  does  not  use  his  luck  when  he  has  it  is  a  fool,  and 
that  this  was  a  chance  which,  once  lost,  might  never  return. 
So  while  they  stood  laughing  at  the  shattered  stone  he 
placed  the  ring,  as  if  in  play,  upon  the  third  finger  of  his 
left  hand. 

"  Now,"  said  the  maiden,  "  you  are  invisible  to  me  until 
you  take  the  ring  off  again." 

But  the  youth  had  no  mind  to  do  that.  On  the  contrary, 
he  went  further  off,  then  put  the  ring  on  the  little  finger 
of  his  left  hand,  and  soared  into  the  air  like  a  bird. 

When  the  maiden  saw  him  flying  away  she  thought  at 
first  that  he  was  still  in  play  and  cried :  "  Come  back, 
friend,  for  now  you  see  I  have  told  you  the  truth."  But 
the  young  man  never  came  back. 

Then  the  maiden  saw  she  was  deceived,  and  bitterly  re- 
pented that  she  had  ever  trusted  him  with  the  ring. 

The  young  man  never  halted  in  his  flight  until  he  reached 
the  dwelling  of  the  wise  magician  who  had  taught  him  the 
speech  of  birds.  The  magician  was  delighted  to  find  that 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          19 

his  search  had  been  successful,  and  at  once  set  to  work  to 
interpret  the  secret  signs  engraved  upon  the  ring,  but  it 
took  him  seven  weeks  to  make  them  out  clearly.  Then  he 
gave  the  youth  the  following  instructions  how  to  overcome 
the  dragon  of  the  North: 

"  You  must  have  an  iron  horse  cast,  which  must  have 
little  wheels  under  each  foot.  You  must  also  be  armed 
with  a  spear  two  fathoms  long,  which  you  will  be  able  to 
wield  by  means  of  the  magic  ring  upon  your  left  thumb. 
The  spear  must  be  as  thick  in  the  middle  as  a  large  tree, 
and  both  its  ends  must  be  sharp.  In  the  middle  of  the  spear 
you  must  have  two  strong  chains  ten  fathoms  in  length. 
As  soon  as  the  dragon  has  made  himself  fast  to  the  spear, 
which  you  must  thrust  through  his  jaws,  you  must  spring 
quickly  from  the  iron  horse  and  fasten  the  ends  of  the  chains 
firmly  to  the  ground  with  iron  stakes,  so  that  he  cannot 
get  away  from  them.  After  two  or  three  days  the  monster's 
strength  will  be  so  far  exhausted  that  you  will  be  able  to 
come  near  him.  Then  you  can  put  Solomon's  ring  upon 
your  left  thumb  and  give  him  the  finishing  stroke,  but  keep 
the  ring  on  your  third  finger  until  you  have  come  close  to 
him,  so  that  the  monster  cannot  see  you,  else  he  might  strike 
you  dead  with  his  long  tail.  But  when  all  is  done,  take  care 
you  do  not  lose  the  ring  and  that  no  one  takes  it  from  you 
by  cunning." 

The  young  man  thanked  the  magician  for  his  direc- 
tions and  promised,  should  they  succeed,  to  reward  him. 
But  the  magician  answered :  "  I  have  profited  so  much  by 
the  wisdom  the  ring  has  taught  me  that  I  desire  no  other 
reward."  Then  they  parted,  and  the  youth  quickly  flew 
home  through  the  air.  After  remaining  in  his  own  home 
for  some  weeks  he  heard  people  say  that  the  terrible 
dragon  of  the  North  was  not  far  off  and  might  shortly  be 
expected  in  the  country.  The  king  announced  publicly 
that  he  would  give  his  daughter  in  marriage,  as  well  as 
a  large  part  of  his  kingdom,  to  whosoever  should  free  the 
country  from  the  monster.  The  youth  then  went  to  the 
king  and  told  him  that  he  had  good  hopes  of  subduing  the 
dragon  if  the  king  would  grant  him  all  he  desired  for  that 
purpose.  The  king  willingly  agreed,  and  the  iron  horse, 
the  great  spear,  and  the  chains  were  all  prepared  as  the 


20          THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

youth  requested.  When  all  was  ready,  it  was  found  that 
the  iron  horse  was  so  heavy  that  a  hundred  men  could  not 
move  it  from  the  spot,  so  the  youth  found  there  was  noth- 
ing for  it  but  to  move  it  with  his  own  strength  by  means 
of  the  magic  ring.  The  dragon  was  now  so  near  that  in  a 
couple  of  springs  he  would  be  over  the  frontier.  The 
youth  now  began  to  consider  how  he  should  act,  for  if  he 
had  to  push  the  iron  horse  from  behind  he  could  not  ride 
upon  it,  as  the  sorcerer  had  said  he  must.  But  a  raven 
unexpectedly  gave  him  this  advice :  "  Ride  upon  the  horse 
and  push  the  spear  against  the  ground,  as  if  you  were 
pushing  off  a  boat  from  the  land."  The  youth  did  so, 
and  found  that  in  this  way  he  could  easily  move  forward. 
The  dragon  had  his  monstrous  jaws  wide  open,  all  ready 
for  his  expected  prey.  A  few  paces  nearer,  and  man  and 
horse  would  have  been  swallowed  up  by  them!  The 
youth  trembled  with  horror  and  his  blood  ran  cold,  yet  he 
did  not  lose  his  courage;  but  holding  the  iron  spear  upright 
in  his  hand,  he  brought  it  down  with  all  his  might  right 
through  the  monster's  lower  jaw.  Then  quick  as  light- 
ning he  sprang  from  his  horse  before  the  dragon  had  time 
to  shut  his  mouth.  A  fearful  clap  of  thunder,  which  could 
be  heard  for  miles  around,  now  warned  him  that  the 
dragon's  jaws  had  closed  upon  the  spear.  When  the 
youth  turned  round  he  saw  the  point  of  the  spear  sticking 
up  high  above  the  dragon's  upper  jaw,  and  knew  that  the 
other  end  must  be  fastened  firmly  to  the  ground;  but  the 
dragon  had  got  his  teeth  fixed  in  the  iron  horse,  which 
was  now  useless.  The  youth  now  hastened  to  fasten 
down  the  chains  to  the  ground  by  means  of  the  enormous 
iron  pegs  which  he  had  provided.  The  death-struggle  of 
the  monster  lasted  three  days  and  three  nights;  in  his 
writhing  he  beat  his  tail  so  violently  against  the  ground 
that  at  ten  miles'  distant  the  earth  trembled  as  if  with 
an  earthquake.  When  he  at  length  lost  power  to  move 
his  tail,  the  youth  with  the  help  of  the  ring  took  up  a 
stone  which  twenty  ordinary  men  could  not  have  moved, 
and  beat  the  dragon  so  hard  about  the  head  with  it  that  very 
soon  the  monster  lay  lifeless  before  him. 

You  can  fancy  how  great  was  the  rejoicing  when   the 
new*  was  spread  abroad  that  the  terrible  monster  was  dead. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 


21 


His  conqueror  was  received  into  the  city  with  as  much 
pomp  as  if  he  had  been  the  mightiest  of  kings.  The  old 
king  did  not  need  to  urge  his  daughter  to  marry  the  slayer 
of  the 'dragon;  he  found  her  already  willing  to  bestow  her 
hand  upon  this  hero,  who  had  done  all  alone  what  whole 


The  Youth  Secures  the  Dragon. 

armies  had  tried  in  vp.in  to  do.  In  a  few  days  a  magnifi- 
cent wedding  was  celebrated,  at  which  the  rejoicings  lasted 
four  whole  weeks,  for  all  the  neighboring  kings  had  met 
together  to  thank  the  man  who  had  freed  the  world  from 
their  common  enemy.  But  everyone  forgot  amid  the 
general  joy  that  they  ought  to  have  buried  the  dragon's 
monstrous  body,  for  it  began  now  to  have  such  a  bad  smell 
that  no  one  could  live  in  the  neighborhood,  and  before 


22          THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

long  the  whole  air  was  poisoned  and  pestilence  broke  out 
which  destroyed  many  hundreds  of  people.  In  this  dis- 
tress the  king's  son-in-law  resolved  to  seek  help  once  more 
from  the  Eastern  magician,  to  whom  he  at  once  traveled 
through  the  air  like  a  bird  by  the  help  of  the  ring.  But 
there  is  a  proverb  which  says  that  ill-gotten  gains  never 
prosper,  and  the  prince  found  that  the  stolen  ring  brought 
him  ill-luck  after  all.  The  witch-maiden  had  never  rested 
night  nor  day  until  she  had  found  out  where  the  ring  was. 
As  soon  as  she  had  discovered  by  means  of  magical  arts 
that  the  prince  in  the  form  of  a  bird  was  on  his  way  to  the 
Eastern  magician,  she  changed  herself  into  an  eagle  and 
watched  in  the  air  until  the  bird  she  was  waiting  for  came 
in  sight,  for  she  knew  him  at  once  by  the  ring,  which  was 
hung  round  his  neck  by  a  ribbon.  Then  the  eagle  pounced 
upon  the  bird,  and  the  moment  she  seized  him  in  her 
talons  she  tore  the  ring  from  his  neck  before  the  man  in 
bird's  shape  had  time  to  prevent  her.  Then  the  eagle  flew 
down  to  the  earth  with  her  prey,  and  the  two  stood  face  to 
face  once  more  in  human  form. 

"Now,  villain,  you  are  in  my  power!"  cried  the  witch- 
maiden.  "I  favored  you  with  my  love,  and  you  repaid 
me  with  treachery  and  theft.  You  stole  my  most  precious 
jewel  from  me,  and  do  you  expect  to  live  happily  as  the 
king's  son-in-law?  Now  the  tables  are  turned;  you  are  in 
my  power,  and  I  will  be  revenged  on  you  for  your  crimes." 

"  Forgive  me !  forgive  me !  "  cried  the  prince.  "  I  know 
too  well  how  deeply  I  have  wronged  you,  and  most  heartily 
do  I  repent  it." 

The  maiden  answered:  "Your  prayers  and  your  repent- 
ance come  too  late,  and,  if  I  were  to  spare  you,  everyone 
would  think  me  a  fool.  You  have  doubly  wronged  me;  first 
you  scorned  my  love  and  then  you  stole  my  ring,  and  you 
must  bear  the  punishment." 

With  these  words  she  put  the  ring  upon  her  left  thumb, 
lifted  the  young  man  with  one  hand,  and  walked  away 
with  him  under  her  arm.  This  time  she  did  not  take  him 
to  a  splendid  palace,  but  to  a  deep  cave  in  a  rock,  where 
there  were  chains  hanging  from  the  wall.  The  maiden 
now  chained  the  young  man's  hands  and  feet  so  that  he 
could  not  escape;  then  she  said  in  an  angry  voice:  "Here 


THE   YELLOW    FAIKY    BOOK.  23 

you  shall  remain  chained  up  until  you  die.  I  will  bring 
you  every  day  enough  food  to  prevent  you  dying  of  hunger, 
but  you  need  never  hope  for  freedom  any  more."  With 
these  words  she  left  him. 

The  old  king  and  his  daughter  waited  anxiously  for 
many  weeks  for  the  prince's  return,  but  no  news  of  him 
arrived.  The  king's  daughter  often  dreamed  that  her 
husband  was  going  through  some  great  suffering.  She 
therefore  begged  her  father  to  summon  all  the  encnanters 
and  magicians,  that  they  might  try  to  find  out  where  the 
prince  was  and  how  he  could  be  set  free.  But  the  magi- 
cians, with  all  their  arts,  could  find  out  nothing,  except  that 
he  was  still  living  and  undergoing  great  suffering,  but  none 
could  tell  where  he  was  to  be  found.  At  last  a  celebrated 
magician  from  Finland  was  brought  before  the  king,  who 
had  found  out  that  the  king's  son-in-law  was  imprisoned  in 
the  East,  not  by  men,  but  by  some  more  powerful  being. 
The  king  now  sent  messengers  to  the  East  to  look  for  his 
son-in-law,  and  they  by  good  luck  met  with  the  old  magi- 
cian who  had  interpreted  the  signs  on  King  Solomon's  ring, 
and  thus  was  possessed  of  more  wisdom  than  anyone  else 
in  the  world.  The  magician  soon  found  out  what  he  wished 
to  know,  and  pointed  out  the  place  where  the  prince  was 
imprisoned,  but  said:  "He  is  kept  there  by  enchantment 
and  cannot  be  set  free  without  my  help.  I  will  therefore  go 
with  you  myself." 

So  they  all  set  out,  guided  by  birds,  and  after  some  days 
came  to  the  cave  where  the  unfortunate  prince  had  been 
chained  up  for  nearly  seven  years.  He  recognized  the 
magician  immediately,  but  the  old  man  did  not  know  him, 
he  had  grown  so  thin.  However,  he  undid  the  chains  by 
the  help  of  magic  and  took  care  of  the  prince  until  he 
recovered  and  became  strong  enough  to  travel.  When  he 
reached  home  he  found  that  the  old  king  had  died  that 
morning,  so  that  he  was  now  raised  to  the  throne.  And 
now  after  his  long  suffering  came  prosperity,  which  lasted 
to  the  end  of  his  life ;  but  he  never  got  back  the  magic  ring, 
nor  has  it  ever  again  been  seen  by  mortal  eyes. 

]STow,  if  you  had  been  the  prince,  would  you  not  rather 
have  stayed  with  the  pretty  witch-maiden  ? 


24  THE   YELLOW   FAIKY   BOOK. 


THE   EMPEKOE'S   NEW   CLOTHES* 

Many  years  ago  there  lived  an  emperor  who  was  so  fond 
of  new  clothes  that  he  spent  all  his  money  on  them  in  order 
to  be  beautifully  dressed.  He  did  not  care  about  his 
soldiers,  he  did  not  care  about  the  theater;  he  only  liked 
to  go  out  walking  to  show  off  his  new  clothes.  He  had  a 
coat  for  every  hour  of  the  day;  and  just  as  they  say  of  a 
king,  "  He  is  in  the  council-chamber,"  they  always  said 
here,  "  The  emperor  is  in  the  wardrobe." 

In  the  great  city  in  which  he  lived  there  was  always 
something  going  on;  every  day  many  strangers  came  there. 
One  day  two  impostors  arrived,  who  gave  themselves  out  as 
weavers,  and  said  that  they  knew  how  to  manufacture  the 
most  beautiful  cloth  imaginable.  Not  only  were  the  texture 
and  pattern  uncommonly  beautiful,  but  the  clothes  which 
were  made  of  the  stuff  possessed  the  wonderful  property 
that  they  were  invisible  to  anyone  who  was  not  unfit  for  his 
office  or  who  was  unpardonably  stupid. 

"  Those  must  indeed  be  splendid  clothes,"  thought  the 
emperor.  "  If  I  had  them  on  I  could  find  out  which  men 
in  my  kingdom  are  unfit  for  the  offices  they  hold.  I  could 
distinguish  the  wise  from  the  stupid!  Yes,  this  cloth 
must  be  woven  for  me  at  once."  And  he  gave  both  the  im- 
postors much  money,  so  that  they  might  begin  their  work. 

They  placed  two  weaving-looms  and  began  to  do  as  if 
they  were  working,  but  they  had  not  the  least  thing  on  the 
looms.  They  also  demanded  the  finest  silk  and  the  best 
gold,  which  they  put  in  their  pockets,  and  worked  at  the 
empty  looms  till  late  into  the  night. 

"  I  should  like  very  much  to  know  how  far  they  have 
got  on  with  the  cloth,"  thought  the  emperor.  But  he 
remembered,  when  he  thought  about  it,  that  whoever  was 
stupid  or  not  fit  for  his  office  would  not  be  able  to  see  it. 
Now  he  certainly  believed  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  for 
himself,  but  he  wanted  first  to  send  somebody  else  in  order 
to  see  how  he  stood  with  regard  to  his  office.  Everybody 
in  the  whole  town  knew  what  a  wonderful  power  the  cloth 
had,  and  they  were  all  curious  to  see  how  bad  or  how  stupid 
their  neighbor  was. 

*  Andersen. 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  25 

"  I  will  send  my  old  and  honored  minister  to  the  weavers," 
thought  the  emperor.  "  He  can  judge  best  what  the  cloth 
is  like,  for  he  has  intellect,  and  no  one  understands  his  office 
better  than  he." 

Now,  the  good  old  minister  went  into  the  hall  where  the 
two  impostors  sat  working  at  the  empty  weaving-looms. 
"  Dear  me ! "  thought  the  old  minister,  opening  his  eyes 
wide,  "  I  can  see  nothing ! "  But  he  did  not  say  so. 

Both  the  impostors  begged  him  to  be  so  kind  as  to  step 
closer,  and  asked  him  if  it  were  not  a  beautiful  texture  and 
lovely  colors.  They  pointed  to  the  empty  loom,  and  the 
poor  old  minister  went  forward  rubbing  his  eyes ;  but  he 
could  see  nothing,  for  there  was  nothing  there. 

"  Dear,  dear !  "  thought  he,  "  can  I  be  stupid  ?  I  have 
never  thought  that,  and  nobody  must  know  it!  Can  I  be 
not  fit  for  my  office?  No,  I  must  certainly  not  say  that  I 
cannot  see  the  cloth ! " 

"Have  you  nothing  to  say  about  it?"  asked  one  of  the 
men  who  was  weaving. 

"  Oh,  it  is  lovely,  most  lovely ! "  answered  the  old  min- 
ister, looking  through  his  spectacles.  "  What  a  texture ! 
What  colors !  Yes,  I  will  tell  the  emperor  that  it  pleases  me 
very  much." 

"  Now  we  are  delighted  at  that,"  said  both  the  weavers, 
and  thereupon  they  named  the  colors  and  explained  the 
make  of  the  texture. 

The  old  minister  paid  great  attention,  so  that  he  could 
tell  the  same  to  the  emperor  when  he  came  back  to  him, 
which  he  did. 

.  The  impostors  now  wanted  more  money,  more  silk,  and 
more  gold  to  use  in  their  weaving.  They  put  it  all  in  their 
own  pockets,  and  there  came  no  threads  on  the  loom,  but 
they  went  on  as  they  had  done  before,  working  at  the  empty 
loom.  The  emperor  soon  sent  another  worthy  statesman  to 
see  how  the  weaving  was  getting  on  and  whether  the  cloth 
would  soon  be  finished.  It  was  the  same  with  him  as  the 
first  one;  he  looked  and  looked,  but  because  there  was 
nothing  on  the  empty  loom  he  could  see  nothing. 

"  Is  it  not  a  beautiful  piece  of  cloth  ? "  asked  the  two 
impostors,  and  they  pointed  to  and  described  the  splendid 
material  which  was  not  there. 


26          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

"  Stupid  I  am  not,"  thought  the  man,  "  so  it  must  be 
my  good  office  for  which  I  am  not  fitted.  3t  is  strange, 
certainly,  but  no  one  must  be  allowed  to  notice  it."  And 
so  he  praised  the  cloth  which  he  did  not  see,  and  expressed 
to  them  his  delight  at  the  beautiful  colors  and  the  splendid 
texture.  "  Yes,  it  is  quite  beautiful,"  he  said  to  the  emperor. 

Everybody  in  the  town  was  talking  of  the  magnificent 
cloth. 

ISTow  the  emperor  wanted  to  see  it  himself  while  it  was 
still  on  the  loom.  With  a  great  crowd  of  select  followers, 
among  whom  were  both  the  worthy  statesmen  who  had 
already  been  there  before,  he  went  to  the  cunning  impostors, 
who  were  now  weaving  with  all  their  might,  but  without 
fiber  or  thread. 

"  Is  it  not  splendid  ? "  said  both  the  old  statesmen  who 
had  already  been  there.  "  See,  your  majesty,  what  a  tex- 
ture !  What  colors !  "  And  then  they  pointed  to  the  empty 
loom,  for  they  believed  that  the  others  could  see  the  cloth. 

"  What !  "  thought  the  emperor,  "  I  can  see  nothing !  This 
is  indeed  horrible !  Am  I  stupid  ?  Am  I  not  fit  to  be  em- 
peror? That  were  the  most  dreadful  thing  that  could  hap- 
pen to  me.  Oh !  it  is  very  beautiful !  "  he  said.  "  It  has 
my  gracious  approval."  And  then  he  nodded  pleasantly  and 
examined  the  empty  loom,  for  he  would  not  say  that  he  could 
see  nothing. 

His  whole  court  round  him  looked  and  looked  and  saw 
no  more  than  the  others,  but  they  said  like  the  emperor, 
"  Oh !  it  is  beautiful !  "  And  they  advised  him  to  wear  these 
new  and  magnificent  clothes  for  the  first  time  at  the  great 
procession  which  was  soon  to  take  place.  "  Splendid ! 
Lovely !  Most  beautiful ! "  went  from  mouth  to  mouth ; 
everyone  seemed  delighted  over  them,  and  the  emperor  gave 
to  the  impostors  the  title  of  court  weavers  to  the  emperor. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  the  night  before  the  morning 
on  which  the  procession  was  to  take  place  the  impostors 
were  up  and  were  working  by  the  light  of  over  sixteen 
candles.  The  people  could  see  that  they  were  very  busy 
making  the  emperor's  new  clothes  ready.  They  pretended 
they  were  taking  the  cloth  from  the  loom,  cut  with  huge 
scissors  in  the  air,  sewed  with  needles  without  thread,  and 
then  said  at  last,  "  ISTow  the  clothes  are  finished ! " 


THE    YELLOW    FAIKY    BOOK.  27 

The  emperor  came  himself  with  his  most  distinguished 
knights,  and  each  impostor  held  up  his  arm  just  as  if  he 
were  holding  something  and  said,  "  See !  here  are  the 
breeches !  Here  is  the  coat !  Here  the  cloak !  "  and  so  on. 


The  Emperor  Comes  to  See  His  New  Clothes. 

"  Spun  clothes  are  so  comfortable  that  one  would  imagine 
one  had  nothing  on  at  all ;  but  that  is  the  beauty  of  it ! " 

"  Yes,"  said  all  the  knights,  but  they  could  see  nothing, 
for  there  was  nothing  there. 

"  Will  it  please  your  majesty  graciously  to  take  off  your 
clothes  ? "  said  the  impostors ;  "  then  we  will  put  on  new 
clothes  here  before  the  mirror." 

The  emperor  took  off  all  his  clothes,  and  the  impostors 
placed  themselves  before  him  as  if  they  were  putting  on 
each  part  of  his  new  clothes  which  was  ready,  and  the 
emperor  turned  and  bent  himself  in  front  of  the  mirror. 


28          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

"How  beautifully  they  fit!  How  well  they  sit!"  said 
everybody.  "What  material!  What  colors!  It  is  a  gor- 
geous suit ! " 

"They  are  waiting  outside  with  the  canopy  which  your 
majesty  is  wont  to  have  borne  over  you  in  the  procession," 
announced  the  master  of  the  ceremonies. 

"  Look,  I  am  ready,"  said  the  emperor.  "  Doesn't  it  sit 
well  ? "  And  he  turned  himself  again  to  the  mirror  to  see 
if  his  finery  was  on  all  right. 

The  chamberlains  who  were  used  to  carry  the  train  put 
their  hands  near  the  floor  as  if  they  were  lifting  up  the 
train;  then  they  did  as  if  they  were  holding  something  in 
the  air.  They  would  not  have  it  noticed  that  they  could 
see  nothing. 

So  the  emperor  went  along  in  the  procession  under  the 
splendid  canopy,  and  all  the  people  in  the  streets  and  at  the 
windows  said,  "How  matchless  are  the  emperor's  new 
clothes!  That  train  fastened  to  his  dress,  how  beautifully 
it  hangs!" 

No  one  wished  it  to  be  noticed  that  he  could  see  nothing, 
for  then  he  would  have  been  unfit  for  his  office  or  else  very 
stupid.  None  of  the  emperor's  clothes  had  met  with  such 
approval  as  these  had. 

"  But  he  has  nothing  on ! "  said  a  little  child  at  last. 

"  Just  listen  to  the  innocent  child !  "  said  the  father,  and 
one  whispered  to  his  neighbor  what  the  child  had  said. 

"  But  he  has  nothing  on ! "  the  people  called  out  at  last. 

This  struck  the  emperor,  for  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  they 
were  right ;  but  he  thought  to  himself,  "  I  must  go  on  with 
the  procession  now."  And  the  chamberlains  walked  along 
still  more  uprightly,  holding  up  the  train  which  was  not 
there  at  all. 

THE    GOLDEN    CKAB * 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  fisherman  who  had  a  wife 
and  three  children.  Every  morning  he  used  to  go  out  fish- 
ing, and  whatever  fish  he  caught  he  sold  to  the  king.  One 
day,  among  the  other  fishes,  he  caught  a  golden  crab. 
When  he  came  home  he  put  all  the  fishes  together  into  a 

*  "  Prinz  Krebs,"  from  "  G-riechische  Mahrchen."    Schmidt. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  29 

great  dish,  but  tie  kept  the  crab  separate  because  it  shone 
so  beautifully,  and  placed  it  upon  a  high  shelf  in  the  cup- 
board. Now,  while  the  old  woman,  his  wife,  was  cleaning 
the  fish,  and  had  tucked  up  her  gown  so  that  her  feet  were 
visible,  she  suddenly  heard  a  voice,  which  said: 

"  Let  down,  let  down  thy  petticoat 
That  lets  thy  feet  be  seen." 

She  turned  round  in  surprise,  and  then  she  saw  the  little 
creature,  the  golden  crab. 

"  What !  You  can  speak,  can  you,  you  ridiculous  crab  ?  " 
she  said,  for  she  was  not  quite  pleased  at  the  crab's  remark. 
Then  she  took  him  up  and  placed  him  on  a  dish. 

When  her  husband  came  home  and  they  sat  down  to 
dinner,  they  presently  heard  the  crab's  little  voice  saying, 
"  Give  me  some  too."  They  were  all  very  much  surprised, 
but  they  gave  him  something  to 'eat.  When  the  old  man 
came  to  take  away  the  plate  which  had  contained  the  crab's 
dinner  he  found  it  full  of  gold,  and  as  the  same  thing  hap- 
pened every  day  he  soon  became  very  fond  of  the  crab. 

One  day  the  crab  said  to  the  fisherman's  wife :  "  Go  to 
the  king  and  tell  him  I  wish  to  marry  his  younger 
daughter." 

The  old  woman  went  accordingly  and  laid  the  matter 
before  the  king,  who  laughed  a  little  at  the  notion  of  his 
daughter  marrying  a  crab,  but  did  not  decline  the  proposal 
altogether,  because  he  was  a  prudent  monarch  and  knew 
that  the  crab  was  likely  to  be  a  prince  in  disguise.  He 
said,  therefore,  to  the  fisherman's  wife :  "  Go,  old  woman, 
and  tell  the  crab  I  will  give  him  my  daughter  if  by  to-mor- 
row morning  he  can  build  a  wall  in  front  of  my  castle  much 
higher  than  my  tower,  upon  which  all  the  flowers  of  the 
world  must  grow  and  bloom." 

The  fisherman's  wife  went  home  and  gave  this  message. 

Then  the  crab  gave  her  a  golden  rod  and  said :  "  Go  and 
strike  with  this  rod  three  times  upon  the  ground  on  the 
place  which  the  king  showed  you,  and  to-morrow  morning 
the  wall  will  be  there." 

The  old  woman  did  so  and  went  away  again. 

The  next  morning,  when  the  king  awoke,  what  do  you 
think  he  saw  ?  The  wall  stood  there  before  his  eyes,  exactly 
as  he  had  bespoken  it! 


30 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


Then  the  old  woman  went  back  to  the  king  and  said  to 
him:  "Your  majesty's  orders  have  been  fulfilled." 

"  That  is  all  very  well,"  said  the  king,  "  but  I  cannot  give 
away  my  daughter  until  there  stands  in  front  of  my  palace 
a  garden  in  which  there  are  three  fountains,  of  which  the 
first  must  play  gold,  the  second  diamonds,  and  the  third 
brilliants." 

So  the  old  woman  had  to  strike  again  three  times  upon 


the  ground  with  the  rod,  and  the  next  morning  the  garden 
was  there.  The  king  now  gave  his  consent,  and  the  wed- 
ding was  fixed  for  the  very  next  day. 

Then  the  crab  said  to  the  fisherman: 

"Now  take  this  rod:  go  and  knock  with  it  on  a  certain 
mountain ;  then  a  black  man  *  will  come  out  and  ask  you 
what  you  wish  for.  Answer  him  thus :  '  Your  master  the 
king  has  sent  me  to  tell  you  that  you  must  send  him  his 

*  Ein  Mohr. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  31 

golden  garment  that  is  like  the  sun.'  Make  him  give  you, 
besides,  the  queenly  robes  of  gold  and  precious  stones  which 
are  like  the  flowery  meadows,  and  bring  them  both  to  me, 
and  bring  me  also  the  golden  cushion." 

The  old  man  went  and  did  his  errand.  When  he  had 
brought  the  precious  robes  the  crab  put  on  the  golden  gar- 
ment and  then  crept  upon  the  golden  cushion,  and  in  this 
way  the  fisherman  carried  him  to  the  castle,  where  the  crab 
presented  the  other  garment  to  his  bride.  Now  the  cere- 
mony took  place,  and  when  the  married  pair  were  alone 
together  the  crab  made  himself  known  to  his  young  wife, 
and  told  her  how  he  was  the  son  of  the  greatest  king  in  the 
world,  and  how  he  was  enchanted,  so  that  he  became  a  crab 
by  day  and  was  a  man  only  at  nights,  and  he  could  also 
change  himself  into  an  eagle  as  often  as  he  wished.  No 
sooner  had  he  said  this  than  he  shook  himself  and  immedi- 
ately became  a  handsome  youth,  but  the  next  morning  he 
was  forced  to  creep  back  again  into  his  crab-shell.  And 
the  same  thing  happened  every  day.  But  the  princess' 
affection  for  the  crab  and  the  polite  attention  with  which 
she  behaved  to  him  surprised  the  royal  family  very  much. 
They  suspected  some  secret,  but  though  they  spied  and 
spied,  they  could  not  discover  it.  Thus  a  year  passed  away 
and  the  princess  had  a  son,  whom  she  called  Benjamin. 
But  her  mother  still  thought  the  whole  matter  very  strange. 
At  last  she  said  to  the  king  that  he  ought  to  ask  his  daugh- 
ter whether  she  would  not  like  to  have  another  husband 
instead  of  the  crab.  But  when  the  daughter  was  questioned 
she  only  answered: 

"  I  am  married  to  the  crab,  and  him  only  will  I  have." 

Then  the  king  said  to  her :  "  I  will  appoint  a  tournament 
in  your  honor  and  I  will  invite  all  the  princes  in  the  world 
to  it,  and  if  any  one  of  them  pleases  you,  you  shall  marry 
him." 

In  the  evening  the  princess  told  this  to  the  crab,  who 
said  to  her:  "Take  this  rod;  go  to  the  garden  gate  and 
knock  with  it ;  then  a  black  man  will  come  out  and  say  to 
you,  '  Why  have  you  called  me  and  what  do  you  require  of 
me  ? '  Answer  him  thus :  l  Your  master  the  king  has  sent 
me  hither  to  tell  you  to  send  him  his  golden  armor  and  his 
steed  and  the  silver  apple.'  And  bring  them  to  me." 


32 


THE   YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK. 


The  princess  did  so  and  brought  him  what  he  desired. 
The  following  evening  the  prince  dressed  himself  for  the 
tournament.  Before  he  went  he  said  to  his  wife:  "Now 
mind  you  do  not  say  \vhen  you  see  me  that  I  am  the  crab. 
For  if  you  do  this  evil  will  come  of  it.  Place  yourself  at  the 
window  with  your  sisters;  I  will  ride  by  and  throw  you  the 
silver  apple.  Take  it  in  your  hand,  but  if  they  ask  who  I 
am,  say  that,  you  do  not  know."  So  saying,  he  kissed  her, 
repeated  his  warning  once  more,  and  went  away. 

The  princess  went  with 
her  sisters  to  the  window 
and  looked  on  at  the  tour- 
nament.  Presently  her 
husband  rode  by  and  threw 
the  apple  up  to  her.  She 
caught  it  in  her  hand  and 
went  with  it  to  her  own 
room,  and  by  and  by  her 
husband  came  back  to  her. 
But  her  father  was  much 
surprised  that  she  did  not 
seem  to  care  about  any  of 
the  princes;  he  therefore 
appointed  a  second  tourna- 
ment. 

The  crab  then  gave  his 
wife  the  same  directions  as 
before,  only  this  time  the 
apple  which  she  received 
from  the  black  man  was  of 
gold.  But  before  the 
prince  went  to  the  tourna- 
ment he  said  to  his  wife: 
"  Now  I  know  you  will  be- 
tray me  to-day." 

But  she  swore  to  him  that  she  would  not  tell  who  he  was. 
He  then  repeated  his  warning  and  went  away. 

In  the  evening,  while  the  princess,  with  her  mother  and 

sisters,  was   standing   at  the  window,   the  prince   suddenly 

galloped  past  on  his  steed  and  threw  her  the  golden  apple. 

Then  her  mother  flew  into  a  passion,  gave  her  a  box  on 


'The  Fisherman  Brings  the  Crab  on 
the  Golden  Cushion. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK.  33 

the  ear,  and  cried  out :  "  Does  not  even  that  prince  please 
you,  you  fool  ?  " 

The  princess  in  her  fright  exclaimed :  "  That  is  the  crab 
himself!" 

Her  mother  was  still  more  angry  because  she  had  not  been 
told  sooner,  ran  into  her  daughter's  room  where  the  crab- 
shell  was  still  lying,  took  it  up  and  threw  it  into  the  fire. 
Then  the  poor  princess  cried  bitterly,  but  it  was  of  no  use; 
her  husband  did  not  come  back. 

Now  we  must  leave  the  princess  and  turn  to  the  other 
persons  in  the  story.  One  day  an  old  man  went  to  a  stream 
to  dip  in  a  crust  of  bread  which  he  was  going  to  eat,  when 
a  dog  came  out  of  the  water,  snatched  the  bread  from  his 
hand,  and  ran  away.  The  old  man  ran  after  him,  but  the 
dog  reached  a  door,  pushed  it  open,  and  ran  in,  the  old  man 
following  him.  He  did  not  overtake  the  dog,  but  found 
himself  above  a  staircase,  which  he  descended.  Then  he 
saw  before  him  a  stately  palace,  and  entering,  he  found  in 
a  large  hall  a  table  set  for  twelve  persons.  He  hid  himself 
in  the  hall  behind  a  great  picture,  that  he  might  see  what 
would  happen.  At  noon  he  heard  a  great  noise,  so  that  he 
trembled  with  fear.  When  he  took  courage  to  look  out 
from  behind  the  picture  he  saw  twelve  eagles  flying  in. 
At  this  sight  his  fear  became  still  greater.  The  eagles  flew 
to  the  basin  of  a  fountain  that  was  there  and  bathed  them- 
selves, when  suddenly  they  were  changed  in  to  twelve  hand- 
some youths.  Now  they  seated  themselves  at  the  table, 
and  of  them  took  up  a  goblet  filled  with  wine  and  said 
"A  health  to  my  father!"  And  another  said,  "A  health 
to  my  mother ! "  and  so  the  healths  went  round.  Then  one 
of  them  said: 

"A  health  to  my  dearest  lady, 

Long  may  she  live  and  well ! 
But  a  curse  on  the  cruel  mother 
That  burned  my  golden  shell !  " 

And  so  saying  he  wept  bitterly.  Then  the  youths  rose  from 
the  table,  went  back  to  the  great  stone  fountain,  turned 
themselves  into  eagles  again,  and  flew  away. 

Then  the  old  man  went  away  too,  returned  to  the  light 
of  day,  and  went  home.  Soon  after  he  heard  that  the 
princess  was  ill,  and  that  the  only  thing  that  did  her  good 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK>  35 

was  having  stories  told  to  her.  He  therefore  went  to  the 
royal  castle,  obtained  an  audience  of  the  princess,  and  told 
her  about  the  strange  things  he  had  seen  in  the  underground 
palace.  No  sooner  had  he  finished  than  the  princess  asked 
him  whether  he  could  find  the  way  to  that  palace. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,    "  certainly." 

And  now  she  desired  him  to  guide  her  thither  at  once. 
The  old  man  did  so,  and  when  they  came  to  the  palace  he 
hid  her  behind  the  great  picture  and  advised  her  to  keep 
quite  still,  and  he  placed  himself  behind  the  picture  also. 
Presently  the  eagles  came  flying  in  and  changed  themselves 
into  young  men,  and  in  a  moment  the  princess  recognized 
her  husband  among  them  all  and  tried  to  come  out  of  her 
hiding-place ;  but  the  old  man  held  her  back.  The  youths 
seated  themselves  at  the  table;  and  now  the  prince  said 
again,  while  he  took  up  the  cup  of  wine: 

"A  health  to  my  dearest  lady, 

Long  may  she  live  and  well ! 
But  a  curse  on  the  cruel  mother 
That  burned  my  golden  shell ! " 

Then  the  princess  could  restrain  herself  no  longer,  but  ran 
forward  and  threw  her  arms  round  her  husband.  And 
immediately  he  knew  her  again  and  said: 

"Do  you  remember  how  I  told  you  that  day  that  you 
would  betray  me?  Now  you  see  that  I  spoke  the  truth. 
But  all  that  bad  time  is  past.  Now  listen  to  me:  I  must 
still  remain  enchanted  for  three  months.  Will  you  stay 
here  with  me  till  that  time  is  over  ? " 

So  the  princess  stayed  with  him  and  said  to  the  old  man : 
"  Go  back  to  the  castle  and  tell  my  parents  that  I  am  stay- 
ing here." 

Her  parents  were  very  much  vexed  when  the  old  man 
came  back  and  told  them  this,  but  as  soon  as  the  three 
months  of  the  prince's  enchantment  were  over  he  ceased  to 
be  an  eagle  and  became  once  more  a  man,  and  they  returned 
home  together.  And  then  they  lived  happily,  and  we  who 
hear  the  story  are  happier  still. 


s 


36          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


THE  IKON   STOVE* 

Once  upon  a  time,  when  wishes  came  true,  there  was  a 
king's  son  who  was  enchanted  by  an  old  witch,  so  that  he 
was  obliged  to  sit  in  a  large  iron  stove  in  a  wood.  There 
he  lived  for  many  years,  and  no  one  could  free  him.  At 
last  a  king's  daughter  came  into  the  wood;  ske  had  lost 
her  way  and  could  not  find  her  father's  kingdom  again. 
She  had  been  wandering  round  and  round  for  nine  days, 
and  she  came  at  last  to  the  iron  case.  A  voice  came  from 
within  and  asked  her :  "  Where  do  you  come  from  and 
where  do  you  want  to  go  ? "  She  answered :  "  I  have  lost 
my  way  to, my  father's  kingdom,  and  I  shall  never  get 
home  again."  Then  the  voice  from  the  iron  stove  said: 
"  I  will  help  you  to  find  your  home  again,  and  that  in  a 
very  short  time,  if  you  will  promise  to  do  what  I  ask  you. 
I  am  a  greater  prince  than  you  are  a  princess,  and  I  will 
marry  you."  Then  she  grew  frightened  and  thought, 
"  What  can  a  young  lassie  do  with  an  iron  stove  ? "  But 
as  she  wanted  very  much  to  go  home  to  her  father,  she 
promised  to  do  what  he  wished.  He  said :  "  You  must 
come  again,  and  bring  a  knife  with  you  to  scrape  a  hole  in 
the  iron." 

Then  he  gave  her  someone  for  a  guide,  who  walked  near 
her  and  said  nothing,  but  he  brought  her  in  two  hours  to 
her  house.  There  was  great  joy  in  the  castle  when  the 
princess  came  back,  and  the  old  king  fell  on  her  neck  and 
kissed  her.  But  she  was  very  much  troubled  and  said: 
"  Dear  father,  listen  to  what  has  befallen  me.  I  should 
never  have  come  home  again  out  of  the  great  wildwood  if 
I  had  not  come  to  an  iron  stove,  to  whom  I  have  had  to 
promise  that  I  will  go  back  to  free  him  and  marry  him ! " 
The  old  king  was  so  frightened  that  he  nearly  fainted,  for 
she  was  his  only  daughter.  So  they  consulted  together,  and 
determined  that  the  miller's  daughter,  who  was  very  beau- 
tiful, should  take  her  place.  They  took  her  there,  gave 
her  a  knife,  and  said  she  must  scrape  at  the  iron  stove. 
She  scraped  for  twenty-four  hours,  but  did  not  make  the 
least  impression.  When  the  day  broke  a  voice  called  from 

*  Grimm. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  37 

the  iron  stove :  "  It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  day  outside." 
Then  she  answered :  "  It  seems  so  to  me ;  I  think  I  hear  my 
father's  mill  rattling." 

"  So  you  are  a  miller's  daughter !  Then  go  away  at  once 
and  tell  the  king's  daughter  to  come." 

Then  she  went  away  and  told  the  old  king  that  the  thing 
inside  the  iron  stove  would  not  have  her,  but  wanted  the 
princess.  The  old  king  was  frightened,  and  his  daughter 
wept.  But  they  had  a  swineherd's  daughter,  who  was  even 
more  beautiful  than  the  miller's  daughter,  and  they  gave 
her  a  piece  of  gold  to  go  to  the  iron  stove  instead  of  the 
princess.  Then  she  was  taken  out  and  had  to  scrape  for 
twenty-four  hours,  but  she  could  make  no  impression.  As 
soon  as  the  day  broke  the  voice  from  the  stove  called  out: 
"  It  seems  to  be  daylight  outside."  Then  she  answered : 
"  It  seems  so  to  me  too ;  I  think  I  hear  my  father  blowing 
his  horn."  "  So  you  are  a  swineherd's  daughter!  Go  away 
at  once  and  let  the  king's  daughter  come.  And  say  to  her 
that  what  I  foretell  shall  come  to  pass,  and  if  she  does  not 
come  everything  in  the  kingdom  shall  fall  into  ruin,  and  not 
one  stone  shall  be  left  upon  another."  When  the  princess 
heard  this  she  began  to  cry,  but  it  was  no  good ;  she  had  to 
keep  her  word.  She  took  leave  of  her  father,  put  a  knife 
in  her  belt,  and  went  to  the  iron  stove  in  the  wood.  As 
soon  as  she  reached  it  she  began  to  scrape  and  the  iron  gave 
way,  and  before  two  hours  had  passed  she  had  made  a  little 
hole.  Then  she  peeped  in  and  saw  such  a  beautiful  youth, 
all  shining  with  gold  and  precious  stones,  that  she  fell  in 
love  with  him  on  the  spot.  So  she  scraped  away  harder 
than  ever,  and  made  the  hole  so  large  that  he  could  get 
out.  Then  he  said :  "  You  are  mine  and  I  am  thine :  you  are 
my  bride  and  have  set  me  free ! "  He  wanted  to  take  her 
with  him  to  his  kingdom,  but  she  begged  him  just  to  let  her 
go  cnce  more  to  her  father;  and  the  prince  let  her  go,  but 
told  her  not  to  say  more  than  three  words  to  her  father,  then 
to  come  back  again.  So  she  went  home,  but,  alas !  she  said 
more  than  three  words;  and  immediately  the  iron  stove 
vanished  and  went  away  over  a  mountain  of  glass  and 
sharp  swords.  But  the  prince  was  free  and  was  no  longer 
shut  up  in  it.  Then  she  said  good-by  to  her  father,  and 
took  a  little  money  with  her  and  went  again  into  the  great 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  39 

wood  to  look  for  the  iron  stove;  but  she  could  not  find  it. 
She  sought  it  for  nine  days,  and  then  her  hunger  became 
so  great  that  she  did  not  know  how  she  could  live  any 
longer.  And  when  it  was  evening  she  climbed  a  little  tree 
and  wished  that  the  night  would  not  come,  because  she 
was  afraid  of  the  wild  beasts.  When  midnight  came  she 
saw  afar  off  a  little  light  and  thought,  "  Ah !  if  only  I 
could  reach  that ! "  Then  she  got  down  from  the  tree  and 
went  toward  the  light.  She  came  to  a  little  old  house  with 
a  great  deal  of  grass  growing  round,  and  stood  in  front  of 
a  little  heap  of  wood.  She  thought,  "  Alas !  what  am  I 
coming  to  ? "  and  peeped  through  the  window ;  but  she 
saw  nothing  inside  except  big  and  little  toads  and  a  table 
beautifully  spread  with  roast  meats  and  wine,  and  all  the 
dishes  and  drinking-cups  were  of  silver.  Then  she  took 
heart  and  knocked.  Then  a  fat  toad  called  out: 

"  Little  green  toad  with  leg  like  crook, 
Open  wide  the  door,  and  look 
Who  it  was  the  latch  that  shook." 

And  a  little  toad  came  forward  and  let  her  in.  When  she 
entered  they  all  bade  her  welcome  and  made  her  sit  down. 
They  asked  her  how  she  came  there  and  what  she  wanted. 
Then  she  told  eve^thing  that  had  happened  to  her,  and 
how,  because  she  had  exceeded  her  permission  only  to  speak 
three  words,  the  stove  had  disappeared  with  the  prince; 
and  how  she  had  searched  a  very  long  time,  and  must 
wander  over  mountain  and  valley  till  she  found  him. 
Then  the  old  toad  said: 

"Little  green  toad  whose  leg  doth  twist, 
Go  to  the  corner  of  which  you  wist, 
And  bring  to  me  the  large  old  kist." 

And  the  little  toad  went  and  brought  out  a  great  chest. 
Then  they  gave  her  food  and  drink  and  led  her  to  a  beauti- 
fully made  bed  of  silk  and  samite,  on  which  she  lay  down 
and  slept  soundly.  When  the  day  dawned  she  arose,  and 
the  old  toad  gave  her  three  things  out  of  the  huge  chest 
to  take  with  her.  She  would  have  need  of  them,  for  she 
had  to  cross  a  high  glass  mountain,  three  cutting  swords, 
and  a  great  lake.  When  she  had  passed  these  she  would 
find  her  lover  again.  So  she  was  given  three  large  needles, 


40  THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

a  plow-wheel,  and  three  nuts,  which  she  was  to  take  great 
care  of.  She  set  out  with  these  things,  and  when  she  came 
to  the  glass  mountain  which  was  so  slippery  she  stuck  the 
three  needles  behind  her  feet  and  then  in  front,  and  so  got 
over  it,  and  when  she  was  on  the  other  side  put  them  care- 
fully away. 

Then  she  reached  the  three  cutting  swords  and  got  on 
her  plow-wheel  and  rolled  over  them.     At  last  she  came  to 


Then  she  reached  the  three  cutting  swords  and  got  on  her 
plow-wheel  and  rolled  over  them. 

a  great  lake,  and  when  she  had  crossed  that  arrived  at  a 
beautiful  castle.  She  went  in  and  gave  herself  out  as  a 
servant,  a  poor  maid  who  would  gladly  be  engaged.  But 
she  knew  that  the  prince  whom  she  had  freed  from  the  iron 
stove  in  the  great  wood  was  in  the  castle.  So  she  was  taken 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  41 

on  as  a  kitchen-maid,  for  very  smaL  wages.  Now  the 
prince  was  about  to  marry  another  princess,  for  he  thought 
she  was  dead  long  ago. 

In  the  evening,  when  she  had  washed  up  and  was  ready, 
she  felt  in  her  pocket  and  found  the  three  nuts  which  the 
old  toad  had  given  her.  She  cracked  one  and  was  going 
to  eat  the  kernel,  when  behold!  there  wyas  a  beautiful  royal 
dress  inside  it !  When  the  bride  heard  of  this  she  came  and 
begged  for  the  dress  and  wanted  to  buy  it,  saying  that  it 
was  not  a  dress  for  a  serving-maid.  Then  she  said  she 
would  not  sell  it  unless  she  was  granted  one  favor — namely, 
to  sleep  by  the  prince's  door.  The  bride  granted  her  this, 
because  the  dress  was  so  beautiful  and  she  had  so  few  like 
it.  When  it  was  evening  she  said  to  her  bridegroom :  "  That 
I  stupid  maid  wants  to  sleep  by  your  door." 

""""^  If  you  are  contented,  I  am,"  he  said.  But  she  gave 
him  a  glass  of  wine  in  which  she  had  poured  a  sleeping- 
draught.  Then  they  both  went  to  his  room,  but  he  slept 
so  soundly  that  she  could  not  ^ake  him.  The  maid  wept 
all  night  long  and  said:  "I  f  3ed  you  in  the  wildwood  out 
of  the  iron  stove.  I  have  sought  you  and  have  crossed  a 
glassy  mountain,  three  sharp  swords,  and  a  great  lake  be- 
fore I  found  you,  and  you  will  not  hear  me  now ! "  The 
servants  outside  heard  how  she  cried  the  whole  night,  and 
they  told  their  master  in  the  morning. 

When  she  had  washed  up  the  next  evening  she  bit 
the  second  nut,  and  there  was  a  still  more  beautiful  dress 
inside.  When  the  bride  saw  it  she  wanted  to  buy  it  also. 
But  the  maid  did  not  want  money  and  asked  that  she  should 
sleep  again  by  the  prince's  door.  The  bride,  however,  gave 
him  a  sleeping-draught,  and  he  slept  so  soundly  that  he 
heard  nothing.  But  the  kitchen-maid  wept  the  whole  night 
long  and  said:  "I  have  freed  you  in  a  wood  and  from 
an  iron  stove;  I  sought  you  and  have  crossed  a  glassy 
mountain,  three  sharp  swords,  and  a  great  lake  to  find  you, 
and  now  you  will  not  hear  me ! "  The  servants  outside 
heard  how  she  cried  the  whole  night,  and  in  the  morning 
they  told  their  master.  And  when  she  had  washed  up  on 
the  third  night  she  bit  the  third  nut,  and  there  was  a 
still  more  beautiful  dress  inside  that  was  made  of  pure  gold. 
When  the  bride  saw  it  she  wanted  to  have  it,  but  the  maid 


42          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

would  only  give  it  to  her  on  condition  that  she  should  sleep 
for  the  third  time  by  the  prince's  door.  But  the  prince  took 
care  not  to  drink  the  sleeping-draught.  When  she  began 
to  weep  and  to  say,  "  Dearest  sweetheart,  I  freed  you  in  the 
horrible  wildwood  and  from  an  iron  stove,"  he  jumped  up 
and  said :  "  You  are  right.  You  are  mine  and  I  am  thine." 
Though  it  was  still  night,  he  got  into  a  carriage  with 
her,  and  they  took  the  false  bride's  clothes  away,  so 
that  she  could  not  follow  them.  When  they  came  to 
the  great  lake  they  rowed  across,  and  when  they  reached 
the  three  sharp  swords  they  sat  on  the  plow-wheel,  and  on 
the  glassy  mountain  they  stuck  the  three  needles  in.  So 
they  arrived  at  last  at  the  little  old  house,  but  when  they 
stepped  inside  it  turned  into  a  large  castle.  The  toads  were 
all  freed  and  were  beautiful  king's  children,  running  about 
for  joy.  There  they  were  married,  and  they  remained 
in  the  castle,  which  was  much  larger  than  that  of  the 
prince's  father.  But  because  the  old  man  did  not  like  being 
left  alone  they  went  and  fetched  him.  So  they  had  two 
kingdoms  and  lived  in  grt  *  wealth. 

"A  mouse  has  run, 
My  story's  done. 


THE  DRAGON  AND  HIS  GRANDMOTHER 

There  was  once  a  great  war,  and  the  king  had  a  great 
many  soldiers,  but  he  gave  them  so  little  pay  that  they 
could  not  live  upon  it.  Then  three  of  them  took  counsel 
together  and  determined  to  desert. 

One  of  them  said  to  the  others :  "  If  we  are  caught  we 
shall  be  hanged  on  the  gallows.  How  shall  we  set  about 
it  ?  "  The  other  said :  "  Do  you  see  that  large  corn-field 
there?  If  we  were  to  hide  ourselves  in  that  no  one  could 
find  us.  The  army  cannot  come  into  it,  and  to-morrow  it 
is  to  march  on." 

They  crept  into  the  corn,  but  the  army  did  not  march  on, 
"but  remained  encamped  close  around  them.  They  sat  for 
two  days  and  two  nights  in  the  corn,  and  grew  so  hungry 
that  they  nearly  died;  but  if  they  were  to  venture  out  it 
was  certain  death. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  43 

They  said  at  last :  "  What  use  was  it  our  deserting  ?  We 
must  perish  here  miserably." 

While  they  were  speaking  a  fiery  dragon  came  flying 
through  the  air.  It  hovered  near  them  and  asked  why 
they  were  hidden  there.  They  answered :  "  We  are  three 
soldiers  and  have  deserted  because  our  pay  was  so  small. 
Now,  if  we  remain  here  we  shall  die  of  hunger,  and  if  we 
move  out  we  shall  be  strung  up  on  the  gallows."  "  If  you 
will  serve  me  for  seven  years,"  said  the  dragon,  "  I 
will  lead  you  through  the  midst  of  the  army  so  that  no  one 
shall  catch  you."  "  We  have  no  choice  and  must  take  your 


The  Dragon  Carries  off  the  Three  Soldiers. 

offer,"  said  they.  Then  the  dragon  seized  them  in  his  claws, 
took  them  through  the  air  over  the  army,  and  set  them  down 
on  the  earth  a  long  way  from  it. 

He  gave  them  a  little  whip,  saying :  "  Whip  and  slash 
with  this,  and  as  much  money  as  you  want  will  jump  up 
before  you.  You  can  then  live  as  great  lords,  keep  horses, 
and  drive  about  in  carriages.  But  after  seven  years  you  are 
mine."  Then  he  put  a  book  before  them,  which  he  made 


4i          THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

all  three  of  them  sign.  "  I  will  then  give  you  a  riddle,"  he 
said;  "if  you  guess  it,  you  shall  be  free  and  out  of  my 
power."  The  dragon  then  flew  away,  and  they  journeyed 
on  with  their  little  whip.  They  had  as  much  money  as 
they  wanted,  wore  grand  clothes,  and  made  their  way  into 
the  world.  Wherever  they  went  they  lived  in  merry-mak- 
ing and  splendor,  drove  about  with  horses  and  carriages, 
ate  and  drank,  but  did  nothing  wrong. 

The  time  passed  quickly  away,  and  when  the  seven  years 
were  nearly  ended  two  of  them  grew  terribly  anxious  and 
frightened,  but  the  third  made  light  of  it,  saying :  "  Don't 
be  afraid,  brothers.  I  wasn't  born  yesterday.  I  will  guess 
the  riddle." 

They  went  into  a  field,  sat  down,  and  the  two  pulled 
long  faces.  An  old  woman  passed  by  and  asked  them  why 
they  were  so  sad.  "  Alas !  what  have  you  to  do  with  it  ? 
You  cannot  help  us."  "  Who  knows  ?  "  she  answered.  "  Only 
confide  your  trouble  in  me." 

Then  they  told  her  that  they  had  become  the  servants  of 
the  dragon  for  seven  long  years,  and  how  he  had  given 
them  .money  as  plentifully  as  blackberries ;  but  as  they  had 
signed  their  names  they  were  his,  unless  when  the  seven 
years  had  passed,  they  could  guess  a  riddle.  The  old  woman 
said :  "  If  you  would  help  yourselves,  one  of  you  must  go 
into  the  wood,  and  there  he  will  come  upon  a  tumble-down 
building  of  rocks  which  looks  like  a  little  house.  He  must 
go  in,  and  there  he  will  find  help." 

The  two  melancholy  ones  thought,  "  That  won't  save 
us ! "  and  they  remained  where  they  were.  But  the  third 
and  merry  one  jumped  up  and  went  into  the  wood  till 
he  found  the  rock  hut.  In  the  hut  sat  a  very  old  woman, 
who  was  the  dragon's  grandmother.  She  asked  him  how 
he  came  and  what  his  business  was  there.  He  told  her  all 
that  happened,  and  because  she  was  pleased  with  him  she 
took  compassion  on  him  and  said  she  would  help  him. 

She  lifted  up  a  large  stone  which  lay  over  the  cellar, 
saying :  "  Hide  yourself  there ;  you  can  hear  all  that  is 
spoken  in  this  room.  Only  sit  still  and  don't  stir.  When 
the  dragon  comes  I  will  ask  him  what  the  riddle  is,  for  he 
tells  me  everything;  then  listen  carefully  what  he  answers." 

At  midnight  the  dragon  flew  in  and  asked  for  his  supper. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          45 

His  grandmother  laid  the  table  and  brought  out  food  and 
drink  till  he  was  satisfied,  and  they  ate  and  drank  together. 
Then  in  the  course  of  the  conversation  she  asked  him  what 
he  had  done  in  the  day  and  how  many  souls  he  had  con- 
quered. 

"I  haven't  had  much  luck  to-day,"  he  said,  "but  I  have 
a  tight  hold  on  three  soldiers." 

"  Indeed !  three  soldiers !  "  said  she.  "  Who  cannot  escape 
you?" 

"  They  are  mine,"  answered  the  dragon  scornfully,  "  for 
I  shall  only  give  them  one  riddle  which  they  will  never  be 
able  to  guess." 

"  What  sort  of  a  riddle  is  it  ? "  she  asked. 

"I  will  tell  you  this.  In  the  North  Sea  lies  a  dead  sea- 
cat — that  shall  be  their  roast  meat;  and  the  rib  of  a  whale 
— that  shall  be  their  silver  spoon;  and  the  hollow  foot  of  a 
dead  horse — that  shall  be  their  wine-glass." 

When  the  dragon  had  gone  to  bed  his  old  grandmother 
pulled  up  the  stone  and  let  out  the  soldier. 

"  Did  you  pay  attention  to  everything  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  I  know  enough  and  can  help  myself 
splendidly." 

Then  he  went  by  another  way  through  the  window 
secretly  and  in  all  haste  back  to  his  comrades.  He  told 
them  how  the  dragon  had  been  outwitted  by  his  grand- 
mother and  how  he  had  heard  from  his  own  lips  the  answer 
to  the  riddle. 

Then  they  were  all  delighted  and  in  high  spirits,  took  out 
their  whip,  and  cracked  so  much  money  that  it  came 
jumping  up  from  the  ground.  When  the  seven  years  had 
quite  gone  the  fiend  came  with  his  book,  and  pointing  at  the 
signatures  said:  "I  will  take  you  underground  with 
me;  you  shall  have  a  meal  there.  If  you  can  tell  me  what 
you  will  get  for  your  roast  meat  you  shall  be  free  and  shall 
also  keep  the  whip." 

Then  said  the  first  soldier :  "  In  the  North  Sea  lies  a  dead 
sea-cat;  that  shall  be  the  roast  meat." 

The  dragon  was  much  annoyed  and  hummed  and  hawed 
a  good  deal,  and  asked  the  second :  "  But  what  shall  be 
your  spoon  ?  " 

"  The  rib  of  a  whale  shall  be  our  silver  spoon/' 


46 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 


The  dragon  made  a  face  and  growled  again  three  times, 
"Hum,  hum,  hum,"  and  said  to  the  third:  "Do  you 
know  what  your  wine-glass  shall  be  ? " 

"  An  old  horse's  hoof  shall  be  our  wine-glass." 
Then  the  dragon  flew  away  with  a  loud  shriek  and  had  no 
more  power  over  them.     But   the  three  soldiers   took   the 
little  whip,  whipped  as  much  money  as  they  wanted,  and 
lived  happily  to  their  lives'  end. 


The  Fiend  Defeated. 

» 


THE  DOKKEY  CABBAGE. 

There  was  once  a  young  hunter  who  went  boldly  into  the 
the  forest.  He  had  a  merry  and  light  heart,  and  as 
he  went  whistling  along  there  came  an  ugly  old  woman 
who  said  to  him :  "  Good-day,  dear  hunter !  You  are  very 
merry  and  contented,  but  I  suffer  hunger  and  thirst,  so 
give  fee  a  trifle."  The  hunter  was  sorry  for  the  poor  old 
woman,  and  he  felt  in  his  pocket  and  gave  her  all  he  could 
spare.  He  was  going  on  then,  but  the  old  woman  stopped 
him  and  said:  "Listen,  dear  hunter,  to  what  I  say.  Be- 
cause of  your  kind  heart  I  will  make  you  a  present.  Go  on 
your  way,  and  in  a  short  time  you  will  come  to  a  tree 
on  which  sit  nine  birds  who  have  a  cloak  in  their  claws  and 
are  quarreling  over  it.  Then  take  aim  with  your  gun  and 
shoot  in  the  middle  of  them;  they  will  let  the  cloak  fall, 
but  one  of  the  birds  will  be  hit  and  will  drop  down  dead. 
Take  the  cloafc  with  you.  It  is  a  wishing-cloak,  and  when 
you  throw  it  on  your  shoulders  you  have  only  to  wish  your- 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK,  47 

aelf  at  a,  certain  place,  and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  you  are 
there.  Take  the  heart  out  of  the  dead  bird  and  swallow  it 
whole,  and  early  every  morning,  when  you  get  up,  you  will 
find  a  gold-piece  under  your  pillow." 

The  hunter  thanked  the  wise  woman  and  thought  to 
himself,  "  These  are  splendid  things  she  has  promised  me, 
if  only  they  come  to  pass !  "  So  he  walked  on  about  a  hun- 
dred yards,  and  then  he  heard  above  him  in  the  branches 
such  a  screaming  and  chirping  that  he  looked  up,  and  there 
he  saw  a  heap  of  birds  tearing  a  cloth  with  their  beaks  and 
feet,  shrieking,  tugging,  and  fighting,  as  if  each  wanted  it 
for  himself.  "Well,"  said  the  hunter,  "this  is  wonderful! 
It  is  just  as  the  old  woman  said  " ;  and  he  put  his  gun  to  his 
shoulder,  pulled  the  trigger,  and  shot  into  the  midst  of 
them,  so  that  their  feathers  flew  about.  Then  the  flock 
took  flight  with  much  screaming,  but  one  fell  dead  and 
the  cloak  fluttered  down.  Then  the  hunter  did  as  the  old 
woman  had  told  him;  he  cut  open  the  bird,  found  its 
heart,  swallowed  it,  and  took  the  cloak  home  with  him. 
The  next  morning  when  he  awoke  he  remembered  the 
promise  and  wanted  to  see  if  it  had  come  true.  But  when 
he  lifted  up  his  pillow  there  sparkled  the  gold-piece,  and 
the  next  morning  he  found  another,  and  so  on  every  time 
he  got  up.  He  collected  a  heap  of  gold,  but  at  last  he 
thought  to  himself,  "  What  good  is  all  my  gold  to  me  if  I 
stay  at  home?  I  will  travel  and  look  a  bit  about  me  in  the 
world."  So  he  took  leave  of  his  parents,  slung  his  hunting 
knapsack  and  his  gun  around  him,  and  journeyed  into  the 
world. 

It  happened  that  one  day  he  went  through  a  thick^vood, 
and  when  he  came  to  the  end  of  it  there  lay  in  the  plain 
before  him  a  large  castle.  At  one  of  the  windows  in  it 
stood  an  old  woman  with  a  most  beautiful  maiden  by  her 
side,  looking  out.  But  the  old  woman  was  a  witch  and  she 
.said  to  the  girl;  "There  comes  one  out  of  the  wood  who 
has  a  wonderful  treasure  in  his  body  which  we  must 
manage  to  possess  ourselves  of,  darling  daughter;  we  have 
more  right  to  it  than  he.  He  has  a  bird's  heart  in  him, 
and  so  every  morning  there  lies  a  gold-piece  under  his 
pillow." 

She  told  her  how  they  oould  get  hold  of  it  and  how  she 


48          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

was  to  coax  it  from  him,  and  at  last  threatened  her  angrily, 
saying :  "  And  if  you  do  not  obey  me  you  shall  repent  of  it !  " 

When  the  hunter  came  nearer  he  saw  the  maiden  and 
said  to  himself :  "  I  have  traveled  so  far  now  that  I  will 
rest  and  turn  into  this  beautiful  castle.  Money  I  have  in 
plenty. "  But  the  real  reason  was  that  he  had  caught  sight 
of  the  lovely  face. 

He  went  into  the  house  and  was  kindly  received  and 
hospitably  entertained.  It  was  not  long  before  he  was  so 
much  in  love  with  the  witch-maiden  that  he  thought  of 
nothing  else  and  only  looked  into  her  eyes,  and  whatever  she 
wanted  that  he  gladly  did.  Then  the  old  witch  said :  "  Now 
we  must  have  the  bird-heart;  he  will  not  feel  when  it  is 
gone."  She  prepared  a  drink,  and  when  it  was  ready  she 
poured  it  into  a  goblet  and  gave  it  to  the  maiden,  who  had 
to  hand  it  to  the  hunter. 

"Drink  to  me  now,  my  dearest,"  she  said.  Then  he 
took  the  goblet,  and  when  he  had  swallowed  the  drink  the 
bird-heart  came  out  of  his  mouth.  The  maiden  had  to 
get  hold  of  it  secretly  and  then  swallow  it  herself,  for 
the  old  witch  wanted  to  have  it.  Thenceforward  he  found 
no  more  gold  under  his  pillow,  and  it  lay  under  the 
maiden's:  but  he  was  so  much  in  love  and  so  much 
bewitched  that  he  thought  of  nothing  except  spending  all 
his  time  with  the  maiden. 

Then  the  old  witch  said:  "We  have  the  bird-heart,  but 
we  -must  also  get  the  wishing-cloak  from  him." 

The  maiden  answered :  "  We  will  leave  him  that.  He  has- 
already  lost  his  wealth ! " 

The  old  witch  grew  angry  and  said :  "  Such  a  cloak  is  a 
wonderful  thing.  It  is  seldom  to  be  had  in  the  world, 
and  have  it  I  must  and  will."  She  beat  the  maiden,  and 
said  that  if  she  did  not  obey  it  would  go  ill  with  her. 

So  she  did  her  mother's  bidding,  and  standing  one  day 
by  the  window,  she  looked  away  into  the  far  distance  as  if 
she  were  very  sad. 

"  Why  are  you  standing  there,  looking  so  sad  ? "  asked  the 
hunter. 

"Alas!  my  love,"  she  replied,  "over  there  lies  the 
granite  mountain  where  the  costly  precious  stones  grow. 
I  have  a  great  longing  to  go  there,  so  that  when  I  think  of 


THE    YELLOW    FAIEY    BOOK. 


49 


it  I  am  very  sad.  For  who  can  fetch  them?  Only  the 
hirds  who  fly;  a  man,  never." 

"  If  you  have  no  other  trouble,"  said  the  hunter,  "  that 
one  I  can  easily  remove  from  your  heart." 

So  he  wrapped  her  round  in  his  cloak  and  wished  them- 
selves to  the  granite  mountain,  and  in  an  instant  there 
they  were,  sitting  on  it!  The  precious  stones  sparkled  so 
brightly  on  all  sides  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  them,  and 
they  collected  the  most  beautiful  and  costly  together. 


But  now  the  old  witch  had  through  her  witchcraft  caused 
the  hunter's  eyes  to  become  heavy. 

He  said  to  the  maiden:  "We  will  sit  down  for  a  little 
while  and  rest.  I  am  so  tired  I  can  hardly  stand  on  my 
feet." 

So  they  sat  down  and  he  laid  his  head  on  her  lap  and 
fell  asleep.  As  soon  as  he  was  sound  asleep  she  unfastened 


50          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

the  cloak  from  his  shoulders,  threw  it  on  her  own,  left  the 
granite  and  stones,  and  wished  herself  home  again. 

But  when  the  hunter  had  finished  his  sleep  and  awoke, 
he  found  that  his  love  had  betrayed  him  and  left  him  alone 
on  the  wild  mountain.  "  Oh,"  said  he,  "  why  is  faithless- 
ness so  great  in  the  world  ? "  and  he  sat  down  in  sorrow 
and  trouble,  not  knowing  what  to  do. 

But  the  mountain  belonged  to  fierce  and  huge  giants, 
who  lived  on  it  and  traded  there,  and  he  had  not  sat  long 
before  he  saw  three  of  them  striding  toward  him.  So  he 
lay  down  as  if  he  had  fallen  into  a  deep  sleep. 

The  giants  came  up,  and  the  first  pushed  him  with 
his  foot  and  said :  "  What  sort  of  an  earth-worm 
is  that?" 

The  second  said :    "  Crush  him  dead." 

But  the  third  said  contemptuously:  "It  is  not  worth 
the  trouble.  Let  him  live.  He  cannot  remain  here,  and 
if  he  goes  higher  up  the  mountain  the  clouds  will  take  him 
and  carry  him  off." 

Talking  thus,  they  went  away.  But  the  hunter  had  lis- 
tened to  their  talk,  and  as  soon  as  they  had  gone  he  rose 
and  climbed  to  the  summit.  When  he  had  sat  there  a  little 
while  a  cloud  swept  by  and,  seizing  him,  carried  him 
away.  It  traveled  for  a  time  in  the  sky,  and  then  it  sank 
down  and  hovered  over  a  large  vegetable  garden  sur- 
rounded, by  walls,  so  that  he  came  safely  to  the  ground 
amid  cabbages  and  vegetables.  The  hunter  then  looked 
about  him,  saying:  "If  only  I  had  something  to  eat!  I 
am  so  hungry,  and  it  will  go  badly  with  me  in  the  future, 
for  I  see  here  not  an  apple  or  pear  or  fruit  of  any  kini 
— nothing  but  vegetables  everywhere."  At  last  he  thought, 
"At  a  pinch  I  can  eat  a  salad.  It  does  not  taste  particu- 
larly nice,  but  it  will  refresh  me."  So  he  looked  about 
for  a  good  head  and  ate  it,  but  no  sooner  had  he  swallowed 
a  couple  of  mouthfuls  than  he  felt  very  strange  and  found 
himself  wonderfully  changed.  Four  legs  began  to  grow 
on  him,  a  thick  head  and  two  long  ears,  and  he  saw  with 
horror  that  he  had  changed  into  a  donkey.  But  as  he  was 
still  very  hungry  and  this  juicy  salad  tasted  very  good  to 
his  present  nature,  he  went  on  eating  with  a  still  greater 
appetite.  At  last  he  got  hold  of  another  kind  of  cabbage, 


THE    YELLOW    FAIKY    BOOK.  51 

but  scarcely  had  swallowed  it  when  he  felt  another  change, 
and  he  once  more  regained  his  human  form. 

The  hunter  now  lay  down  and  slept  off  his  weariness. 
When  he  awoke  the  next  morning  he  broke  off  a  head  of 
the  bad  and  a  head  of  the  good  cabbage,  thinking,  "  This 
will  help  me  to  regain  my  own  and  to  punish  faithless- 
ness." Then  he  put  the  heads  in  his  pockets,  climbed 
the  wall,  and  started  off  to  seek  the  castle  of  his  love. 
When  he  had  wandered  about  for  a  couple  of  days  he 


The  Hunter  is  Transformed  into  a  Donkey. 

found  it  quite  easily.     He  then  browned  his  face  quickly, 
so  that  his  own  mother  would  not  have  known  him,  and 
went  into  the  castle,  where  he  begged  for  a  lodging. 
"  I  am  so  tired,"  he  said,  "  I  can  go  no  further." 
The  witch  asked :     "  Countryman,  who  are  you  and  what 
is  your  business  ?  " 

He  answered :  "  I  am  a  messenger  of  the  king  and  have 
l>een  sent  to  seek  the  finest  salad  that  grows  under  the  sun. 
I  have  been  so  lucky  as  to  find  it  and  am  bringing  it  with 
me;  but  the  heat  of  the  suri  is  so  great  that  the  tender 
cabbage  threatens  to  grow  soft,  and  I  do  not  know  if  I  shall 
be  able  to  bring  it  any  further." 


52  THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

When  the  old  witch  heard  of  the  fine  salad  she  wanted 
to  eat  it  and  said :  "  Dear  countryman,  just  let  me  taste 
the  wonderful  salad." 

"  Why  not  ? "  he  answered.  "  I  have  brought  two  heads 
with  me  and  will  give  you  one." 

So  saying,  he  opened  his  sack  and  gave  her  the  bad  one. 
The  witch  suspected  no  evil,  and  her  mouth  watered  to 
taste  the  new  dish,  so  that  she  went  into  the  kitchen  to 
prepare  it  herself.  When  it  was  ready  she  could  not  wait 
till  it  was  served  at  the  table,  but  she  immediately  took 
a  couple  of  leaves  and  put  them  into  her  mouth.  JSTo  sooner, 
however,  had  she  swallowed  them  than  she  lost  human 
form  and  ran  into  the  court-yard  in  the  shape  of  a  donkey. 

Now  the  servant  came  into  the  kitchen,  and  when  she 
saw  the  salad  standing  there  ready  cooked  she  was  about 
to  carry  it  up,  but  on  the  way,  according  to  her  old  habit, 
she  tasted  it  and  ate  a  couple  of  leaves.  Immediately  the 
charm  worked,  and  she  became  a  donkey  and  ran  out  to 
join  the  old  witch,  and  the  dish  with  the  salad  in  it  fell 
to  the  ground.  In  the  meantime  the  messenger  was  sitting 
with  the  lovely  maiden,  and  as  no  one  came  with  the  salad 
and  she  wanted  very  much  to  taste  it,  she  said :  "  I  don't 
know  where  the  salad  is." 

Then  thought  the  hunter,  "  The  cabbage  must  have  al- 
ready begun  to  work."  And  he  said :  "  I  will  go  to  the 
kitchen  and  fetch  it  myself." 

When  he  came  there  he  saw  the  two  donkeys  running 
about  in  the  courtyard,  but  the  salad  was  lying  on  the 
ground. 

"That's  all  right,"  said  he;  "two  have  had  their  share!" 
And  lifting  the  remaining  leaves  up,  he  -laid  them  on  the 
dish  and  brought  them  to  the  maiden. 

"I  am  bringing  you  the  delicious  food  my  own  self,"  he 
said,  "  so  that  you  need  not  wait  any  longer." 

Then  she  ate,  and  as  the  others  had  done,  she  at  once 
lost  her  human  form  and  ran  as  a  donkey  into  the  yard. 

When  the  hunter  had  washed  his  face,  so  that  the 
changed  ones  might  know  him,  he  went  into  the  yard 
saying :  "  Now  you  shall  receive  a  reward  for  your  faith- 
lessness." 

He  tied  them  all  three  with  a  rope  and  drove  them  away 


THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 


53 


till  he  came  to   a  mill.     He  knocked  at  the  window,  and 
the  miller  put  his  head  out  and  asked  what  he  wanted. 

"  I  have  three  tiresome  animals,"  he  answered,  "  which 
I  don't  want  to  keep  any  longer.  If  you  will  take  them, 
give  them  food  and  stabling,  and  do  as  I  tell  you  with  them, 
I  will  pay  you  as  much  as  you  want." 

The  miller  replied:  "Why  not?  What  shall  I  do  with 
them?" 

Then  the  hunter  assigned  to  the  old  donkey,  which  was 
the  witch,   three  beatings   and    one   meal;   to   the  younger 
one,  which  was  the  servant,  one  beating  and  three  meals; 
and  to  the  youngest  one,  which  was  the  maiden,  no  beat- 
ing and  three  meals :  for  he 
could  not  find  it  in  his  heart 
to  let  the  maiden  be  beaten. 

Then  he  went  back  into 
the  castle,  and  he  found 
there  all  that  he  wanted. 
After  a  couple  of  days  the 


miller  came  and  said  that  he  must  tell  him  that  the  old  don- 
key which  was  to  have  three  beatings  and  only  one  meal  had 
died.  "  The  two  others,"  he  added,  "  are  certainly  not 
dead  and  get  their  three  meals  every  day,  but  they  are  so 
sad  that  they  cannot  last  much  longer." 

Then  the  hunter  took  pity  011  them,  laid  aside  his  anger, 
and  told  the  miller  to  drive  them  back  again.  And  when 
they  came  he  gave  them  some  of  the  good  cabbage  to  eat, 
so  that  they  became  human  again.  Then  the  beautiful 
maiden  fell  on  her  knees  before  him,  saying :  "  Oh,  my 


54          THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

dearest,  forgive  me  the  ill  I  have  done  you!  My  mother 
compelled  me  to  do  it;  it  was  against  my  will,  for  I  love 
you  dearly.  Your  wishing-cloak  is  hanging  in  a  cupboard, 
and  as  for  the  bird-heart,  I  will  make  a  drink  and  give  it 
back  to  you." 

But  he  changed  his  mind  and  said :  "  Keep  it.  It  makes 
no  difference,  for  I  will  take  you  to  be  my  own  dear  true 
wife." 

And  the  wedding  was  celebrated  and  they  lived  happy 
together  till  death. 


THE  LITTLE  GKEEN  FKOG.* 

In  a  part  of  the  world  whose  name  I  forget  lived  once 
upon  a  time  two  kings,  called  Peridor  and  Diamantino, 
They  were  cousins  as  well  as  Neighbors,  and  both  were 
under  the  protection  of  the  fairies;  though  it  is  only  fail 
to  say  that  the  fairies  did  not  love  them  half  so  well  as  their 
wives  did. 

Now,  it  often  happens  that  as  princes  can  generally 
manage  to  get  their  own  way,  it  is  harder  for  them  to  be 
good  than  it  is  for  common  people.  So  it  was  with  Peridot 
and  Diamantino;  but  of  the  two,  the  fairies  declared  thai 
Diamantino  was  much  the  worst;  indeed,  he  behaved  so 
badly  to  his  wife  Aglantine  that  the  fairies  would  not  allo^ 
him  to  live  any  longer;  and  he  died,  leaving  behind  him  a 
little  daughter.  As  she  was  an  only  child,  of  course  this 
little  girl  was  the  heiress  of  the  kingdom,  but,  being  still 
only  a  baby,  her  mother,  the  widow  of  Diamantino,  was  pro- 
claimed regent.  The  queen-dowager  was  wise  and  good  and 
tried  her  best  to  make  her  people  happy.  The  only  thing 
she  had  to  vex  her  was  the  absence  of  her  daughter ;  for  the 
fairies,  for  reasons  of  their  own,  determined  to  bring  up  the 
little  Princess  Serpentine  among  themselves. 

As  for  the  other  king,  he  was  really  fond  of  his  wife, 
Queen  Constance,  but  he  often  grieved  her  by  his  thought- 
less ways,  and  in  order  to  punish  him  for  his  carelessness, 
the  fairies  caused  her  to  die  quite  suddenly.  When  she 
was  gone  the  king  felt  how  much  he  had  loved  her  and 
*  "  Cabinet  des  F(5es." 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


55 


his  grief  was  so  great  (though  he  never  neglected  his 
duties)  that  his  subjects  called  him  Peridor  the  Sorrowful. 
It  seems  hardly  possible 

man    should 

Peridor    for 


that    any 

live    like 

fifteen  years  plunged  in 

such  depth  of  grief,  and 

most    likely   he    would 

have  died  too  if  it  had 

not  been  for  the  fairies. 

The  one  comfort  the 
poor  king  had  was  his 
son,  Prince  Saphir,  who* 
was  only  three  years  old 
at  the  time  of  his 
mother's  death,  and 
great  care  was  given  to 
his  education.  By  the 
time  he  was  fifteen 
Saphir  had  learned 
everything  that  aprince 
should  know,  and  he 
was,  besides,  charming 
and  agreeable. 

It  was  about  this 
time  that  the  fairies 
suddenly  took  fright 
lest  his  love  for  his 
father  should  interfere 
with  the  plans  they  had 
made  for  the  young 
prince.  So  to  prevent 
this  they  placed  in  a 
pretty  little  room  of  which  Saphir  was  very  fond  a  little 
mirror  in  a  black  frame,  such  as  were  often  brought 
from  Venice.  The  young  prince  did  not  notice  for  some 
days  that  there  was  anything  new  in  the  room,  but  at  last 
he  perceived  it  and  went  up  to  look  at  it  more  closely. 
What  was  his  surprise  to  see  reflected  in  the  mirror,  not 
his  own  face,  but  that  of  a  young  girl  as  lovely  as  the  morn- 
ing! And,  better  still,  every  movement  of  the  girl,  just 


56          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

growing  oat  of  childhood,  was  also  reflected  in  the  wonderful 
glass. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  the  young  prince  lost 
his  heart  completely  to  the  beautiful  image,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  get  him  out  of  the  room,  so  busy  was  he  in 
watching  the  lovely  unknown.  Certainly  it  was  very 
delightful  to  be  able  to  see  her  whom  he  loved  at  any 
moment  he  chose,  but  his  spirits  sometimes  sank  when  he 
wondered  what  was  to  be  the  end  of  this  adventure. 

The  magic  mirror  had  been  for  about  a  year  in  the 
prince's  possession,  when  one  day  a  new  subject  of  disquiet 
seized  upon  him.  As  usual,  he  was  engaged  in  looking  at 
the  girl,  when  suddenly  he  thought  he  saw  a  second  mirror 
reflected  in  the  first,  exactly  like  his  own  and  with  the 
same  power.  And  in  this  he  was  perfectly  right.  The 
young  girl  had  only  possessed  it  for  a  short  time,  and 
neglected  all  her  duties  for  the  sake  of  the  mirror.  Now, 
it  was  not  difficult  for  Saphir  to  guess  the  reason  of  the 
change  in  her,  nor  why  the  new  mirror  was  consulted  so 
often;  but  try  as  he  would  he  could  never  see  the  face  of 
the  person  who  was  reflected  in  it,  for  the  young  girl's  figure 
always  came  between.  All  he  knew  was  that  the  face 
was  that  of  a  man,  and  this  was  quite  enough  to  make  him 
madly  jealous.  This  was  the  doing  of  the  fairies,  and  we 
must  suppose  that  they  had  their  reasons  for  acting  as  they 
did. 

When  these  things  happened  Saphir  was  about  eighteen 
years  old,  and  fifteen  years  had  passed  away  since  the  death 
of  his  mother.  King  Peridor  had  grown  more  and  more 
unhappy  as  time  went  on,  and  at  last  he  fell  so  ill  that  it 
seemed  as  if  his  days  were  numbered.  He  was  so  much 
beloved  by  his  subjects  that  this  sad  news  was  heard  with 
despair  by  the  nation,  and  more  than  all  by  the  prince. 

During  his  whole  illness  the  king  never  spoke  of  any- 
thing but  the  queen,  his  sorrow  at  having  grieved  her,  and 
his  hope  of  one  day  seeing  her  again.  All  the  doctors  and 
all  the  water-cures  in  the  kingdom  had  been  tried,  and  noth- 
ing would  do  him  any  good.  At  last  he  persuaded  them  to 
let  him  lie  quietly  in  his  room,  where  no  one  came  to  trouble 
him. 

Perhaps  the  worst  pain  he  had  to  bear  was   a  sort  of 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  57 

weight  on  his  chest,  which  made  it  very  hard  for  him  to 
breathe.  So  he  commanded  his  servants  to  leave  the  win- 
dows open  in  order  that  he  might  get  more  air.  One  day, 
when  he  had  been  left  alone  for  a  few  minutes,  a  bird  with 
brilliant  plumage  came  and  fluttered  around  the  window 
and  finally  rested  on  the  sill.  His  feathers  were  sky-blue 
ar.d  gold,  his  feet  and  his  beak  of  such  glittering  rubies 
that  no  one  could  bear  to  look  at  them,  his  eyes  made  the 
brightest  diamonds  look  dull,  and  on  his  head  he  wore  a 
crown.  I  cannot  tell  you  what  the  crown  was  made  of, 
but  I  am  quite  certain  that  it  was  still  more  splendid  than 
all  the  rest.  As  to  his  voice,  I  can  say  nothing  about  that, 
for  the  bird  never  sang  at  all.  In  fact,  he  did  nothing  but 
gaze  steadily  at  the  king,  and  as  he  gazed  the  king  felt  his 
strength  come  back  to  him.  In  a  little  while  the  bird  flew 
into  the  room,  still  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  king,  and  at 
every  glance  the  strength  of  the  sick  man  became  greater, 
till  he  was  once  more  as  well  as  he  used  to  be  before  the 
queen  died.  Filled  with  joy  at  his  cure,  he  tried  to  seize 
the  bird  to  whom  he  owed  it  all,  but,  swifter  than  a  swallow, 
it  managed  to  avoid  him.  In  vain  he  described  the  bird  to 
his  attendants,  who  rushed  in  at  his  first  call;  in  vain  they 
sought  the  wonderful  creature  both  on  horse  and  foot  and 
summoned  the  fowlers  to  their  aid:  the  bird  could  nowhere 
be  found.  The  love  the  people  bore  King  Peridor  was  so 
strong  and  the  reward  he  promised  was  so  large  that  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye  every  man,  woman,  and  child  had  fled 
into  the  fields,  and  the  towns  were  quite  empty. 

All  this  bustle,  however,  ended  in  nothing  but  confusion, 
and,  what  was  worse,  the  king  soon  fell  back  into  the  same 
condition  as  he  was  in  before.  Prince  Saphir,  who  loved 
his  father  very  dearly,  was  so  unhappy  at  this  that  he  per- 
suaded himself  that  he  might  succeed  where  the  others  had 
failed,  and  at  once  prepared  himself  for  a  more  distant 
search.  In  spite  of  the  opposition  he  met  with  he  rode 
away,  followed  by  his  household,  trusting  to  chance  to 
help  him.  He  had  formed  no  plan,  and  there  was  no  rea- 
son that  he  should  choose  one  path  more  than  another. 
His  only  idea  was  to  make  straight  for  those  spots  which 
were  the  favorite  haunts  of  birds.  But  in  vain  he  exam- 
ined all  the  hedges  and  all  the  thickets;  in  vain  he  ques- 


08  THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

tioned  everyone  he  met  along  the  road.  The  more  he  sought 
the  less  he  found. 

At  last  he  came  to  one  of  the  largest  forests  in  all  the 
world,  composed  entirely  of  cedars.  But  in  spite  of  the 
deep  shadows  cast  by  the  wide  spreading  branches  of  the 
trees,  the  grass  underneath  was  soft  and  green  and  covered 
with  the  rarest  flowers.  It  seemed  to  Saphir  that  this  was 
exactly  the  place  where  the  birds  would  choose  to  live,  and 
he  determined  not  to  quit  the  wood  until  he  had  examined 
it  from  end  to  end.  And  he  did  more.  He  ordered  some 
nets  to  be  prepared  and  painted  of  the  same  colors  as  the 
bird's  plumage,  thinking  that  we  are  all  easily  caught  by 
what  is  like  ourselves.  In  this  he  had  to  help  him  not  only 
the  fowlers  by  profession,  but  also  his  attendants,  who  ex- 
celled in  this  art.  For  a  man  is  not  a  courtier  unless  he  can 
do  everything. 

After  searching  as  usual  for  nearly  a  whole  day  Prince 
Saphir  began  to  feel  overcome  with  thirst.  He  was  too 
tired  to  go  any  further,  when  happily  he  discovered  a  little 
way  off  a  bubbling  fountain  of  the  clearest  water.  Being 
an  experienced  traveler,  he  drew  from  his  pocket  a  little 
cup  (without  which  no  one  should  ever  take  a  journey), 
and  was  just  about  to  dip  it  in  the  water,  when  a  lovely 
little  green  frog,  much  prettier  than  frogs  generally  are, 
jumped  into  the  cup.  Far  from  admiring  its  beauty, 
Saphir  shook  it  impatiently  off;  but  it  was  no  good,  for 
quick  as  lightning  the  frog  jumped  back  again.  Saphir, 
who  was  raging  with  thirst,  was  just  about  to  shake  it  off 
anew,  when  the  little  creature  fixed  upon  him  the  most 
beautiful  eyes  in  the  world  and  said :  "  I  am  a  friend  of  the 
bird  you  are  seeking,  and  when  you  have  quenched  your 
thirst  listen  to  me." 

So  the  prince  drank  his  fill,  and  then,  by  the  command 
of  the  little  green  frog,  he  lay  down  on  the  grass  to  rest 
himself. 

"Now,"  she  began,  "be  sure  you  do  exactly  in  every 
respect  what  I  tell  you.  First  you  must  call  together  your 
attendants  and  order  them  to  remain  in  a  little  hamlet  close 
by  until  you  want  them.  Then  go,  quite  alone,  down  a 
road  that  you  will  find  on  your  right  hand,  looking  south- 
ward. This  road  is  planted  all  the  way  with  cedars  of 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 


59 


Lebanon;  and  after  going  down  it  a  long  way  you  will 
come  at  last  to  a  magnificent  castle.  And  now,"  she  went 
on,  "  attend  carefully  to  what  I  am  going  to  say.  Take 
this  tiny  grain  of  sand  and  put  it  into  the  ground  as  close 
as  you  can  to  the  gate  of  the  castle.  It  has  the  virtue  both 
of  opening  the  gate  and  also  of  sending  to  sleep  all  the 
inhabitants.  Then  go  at  once  to  the  stable,  and  pay  no 
heed  to  anything  except  what  I  tell  you.  Choose  the  hand- 
somest of  all  the  horses,  leap  quickly  on  its  back,  and  come  to 
me  as  fast  as  you  can.  Farewell,  prince;  I  wish  you  good 


Prince  Saphir  Steals  the  Horse  and  Harness. 

luck,"  and  with  these  words  the  little  frog  plunged  into  the 
water  and  disappeared. 

The  prince,  who  had  felt  more  hopeful  than  he  had  done 
since  he  left  home,  did  precisely  as  he  had  been  ordered. 
He  left  his  attendants  in  the  hamlet,  found  the  road  the 
frog  had  described  to  him,  and  followed  it  all  alone,  and  at 
last  he  arrived  at  the  gate  of  the  castle,  which  was  even 
more  splendid  than  he  had  expected,  for  it  was  built  of 
crystal  and  all  its  ornaments  were  of  massive  gold.  How- 


60  THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

ever,  he  had  no  thoughts  to  spare  for  its  beauty,  and 
quickly  buried  his  grain  of  sand  in  the  earth.  In  one  in- 
stant the  gates  flew  open  and  all  the  dwellers  inside  fell 
sound  asleep.  Saphir  flew  straight  to  the  stable,  and  al- 
ready had  his  hand  on  the  finest  horse  it  contained,  when 
his  eye  was  caught  by  a  suit  of  magnificent  hamess  hang- 
ing up  close  by.  It  occurred  to  him  directly  that  the  har- 
ness belonged  to  the  horse,  and  without  ever  thinking  of 
harm  (for,  indeed,  he  who  steals  a  horse  can  hardly  be  blamed 
for  taking  his  saddle),  he  hastily  placed  it  on  the  animal's 
back.  Suddenly  the  people  in  the  castle  became  broad 
awake  and  rushed  to  the  stable.  They  flung  themselves 
on  the  prince,  seized  him,  and  dragged  him  before  their 
lord;  but,  luckily  for  the  prince-,  who  could  only  find  very 
lame  excuses  for  his  conduct,  the  lord  of  the  castle  took  a 
fancy  to  his  face  and  let  him  depart  without  further  ques- 
tions. 

Very  sad  and  very  much  ashamed  of  himself  poor  Saphir 
crept  back  to  the  fountain,  where  the  frog  was  awaiting 
him  with  a  good  scolding. 

"  Whom  do  you  take  me  for  ? "  she  exclaimed  angrily. 
"  Do  you  really  believe  that  rt  was  just  for  the  pleasure  of 
talking  that  I  gave  you  the-  advice  that  you  have  neglected 
so  abominably  ? " 

But  the  prince  was  so  deeply  grieved  and  apologized  so 
very  humbly  that  after  some  time  the  heart  of  the  good 
little  frog  was  softened,  and  she  gave  him  another  tiny 
little  grain,  but  instead  of  being  sand  it  was  now  a  grain  of 
gold.  She  directed  him  to  do  just  as  he  had  done  before, 
with  only  this  difference,  that  instead  of  going  to  the  stable 
which  had  been  the  ruin,  of  nis  hopes,  he  was  to  enter  right 
into  the  castle  itself,  and  to  glide  as  fast  as  he  could  down 
the  passages  until  he  came  to  a  room  filled  with  perfume, 
where  he  would  find  a  beautiful  maiden  asleep  on  a  bed. 
He  was  to  wake  the  maiden,  instantly  and  carry  her  off, 
and  to  be  sure  not  to  pay  any  heed  to  whatever  resistance 
she  might  make.  The  prince  obeyed  the  frog's  orders  one 
by  one,  and  all  went  well  for  this  second  time  also.  The 
gate  opened,  the  inhabitants  fell  sound  asleep,  and  he 
walked  down  the  passage  till  he  found  the  girl  on  her  bed, 
exactly  as  he  had  been  told  he  would.  He  woke  her  and 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          61 

begged  her  firmly,  but  politely,  to  follow  him  quickly. 
After  a  little  persuasion  the  maiden  consented,  but  only  on 
condition  that  she  was  allowed  first  to  put  on  her  dress. 
This  sounded  so  reasonable  and  natural  that  it  did  not 
enter  the  prince's  head  to  refuse  her  request. 

But  the  maiden's  hand  had  hardly  touched  the  dress 
when  the  palace  suddenly  awoke  from  its  sleep  and  the 
prince  was  seized  and  bound.  He  was  so  vexed  with  his 
own  folly  and  so  taken  back  with  the  disaster  that  he  did 
not  attempt  to  explain  his  conduct,  and  things  would  have 
gone  badly  with  him  if  his  friends  the  fairies  had  not 
softened  the  hearts  of  his  captors,  so  that  they  once  more 
allowed  him  to  leave  quietly.  However,  what  troubled 
him  most  was  the  idea  of  having  to  meet  the  frog  who  had 
been  his  benefactress.  How  was  he  ever  to  appear  before 
her  with  this  tale  ?  Still,  after  a  long  struggle  with  himself, 
he  made  up  his  mind  that  there  was  nothing  else  to  be 
done,  and  that  he  deserved  whatever  she  might  say  to  him. 
And  she  said  a  great  deal,  for  she  had  worked  herself  into 
a  terrible  passion;  but  the  prince  humbly  implored  her 
pardon,  and  ventured  to  point  out  that  it  would  have  been 
very  hard  to  refuse  the  young  lady's  reasonable  request. 
"  You  must  learn  to  do  as  you  are  told,"  was  all  the  frog 
would  reply. 

But  poor  Saphir  was  so  unhappy  and  begged  so  hard  for 
forgiveness  that  at  last  the  frog's  anger  gave  way,  and  she 
held  up  to  him  a  tiny  diamond  stone.  "  Go  back,"  she 
said,  "  to  the  castle  and  bury  this  little  diamond  close  to 
the  door.  But  be  careful  not  to  return  to  the  stable  or  to 
the  bedroom;  they  have  proved  too  fatal  for  you.  Walk 
straight  to  the  garden  and  enter  through  a  portico  into  a 
small  green  wood,  in  the  midst  of  which  is  a  tree  with  a 
trunk  of  gold  and  leaves  of  emeralds.  Perched  on  this 
tree  you  will  see  the  beautiful  bird  you  have  been  seeking 
so  long.  You  must  cut  the  branch  on  which  it  is  sitting 
and  bring  it  back  to  me  without  delay.  But  I  warn  you 
solemnly  that  if  you  disobey  my  directions,  as  you  have 
done  twice  before,  you  have  nothing  more  to  expect  either 
of  me  or  anyone  else." 

With  these  words  she  jumped  into  the  water,  and  the 
prince,  who  had  taken  her  threats  much  to  heart,  took  his 


62  THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

departure,  firmly  resolved  not  to  deserve  them.  He  found 
it  all  just  as  he  had  been  told;  the  portico,  the  wood,  the 
magnificent  tree,  and  the  beautiful  bird,  which  was  sleep- 
ing soundly  on  one  of  the  branches.  He  speedily  lopped 
off  the  branch,  and  though  he  noticed  a  splendid  golden 
cage  hanging  close  by,  which  would  have  been  very  useful 
for  the  bird  to  travel  in,  he  left  it  alone  and  came  back  to 
the  fountain,  holding  his  breath  and  walking  on  tip-toe  all 
the  way,  for  fear  lest  he  should  awake  his  prize.  But  what 
was  his  surprise  when,  instead  of  finding  the  fountain  in 
the  spot  where  he  had  left  it,  he  saw  in  its  place  a  little 
rustic  palace  built  in  the  best  taste,  and  standing  in  the 
doorway  a  charming  maiden,  at  whose  sight  his  mind  seemed 
to  give  way. 

"  What !  Madam ! "  he  cried,  hardly  knowing  what  he 
said.  "What!  Is  it  you?" 

The  maiden  blushed  and  answered :  "  Ah,  my  lord,  it  is 
long  since  I  first  beheld  your  face,  but  I  did  not  think  you 
had  ever  seen  mine." 

"  Oh,  madam,"  replied  he,  "  you  can  never  guess  the 
days  and  the  hours  I  have  passed  lost  in  admiration  of  you." 

And  after  these  words  they  each  related  all  the  strange 
things  that  had  happened,  and  the  more  they  talked  the 
more  they  felt  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  images  they 
had  seen  in  their  mirrors.  After  some  time  spent  in  the 
most  tender,  conversation,  the  prince  could  not  restrain 
himself  from  asking  the  lovely  unknown  by  what  lucky 
chance  she  was  wandering  in  the  forest;  where  the  foun- 
tain had  gone ;  and  if  she  knew  anything  of  the  frog  to 
whom  he  owed  all  his  happiness  and  to  whom  he  must  give 
up  the  bird,  which,  somehow  or  other,  was  still  sound  asleep. 

"  Ah,  my  lord,"  she  replied,  with  rather  an  awkward 
air,  "as  to  the  frog,  she  stands  before  you.  Let  me  tell 
you  my  story;  it  is  not  a  long  one.  I  know  neither  my 
country  nor  my  parents,  and  the  only  thing  I  can  say  for 
certain  is  that  I  am  called  Serpentine.  The  fairies,  who 
have  taken  care  of  me  ever  since  I  was  born,  wished  me  to 
be  in  ignorance  as  to  my  family,  but  they  have  looked 
after  my  education  and  have  bestowed  on  me  endless  kind- 
ness. I  have  always  lived  in  seclusion,  and  for  the  last 
two  years  I  have  wished  for  nothing  better.  I  had  a 


"  Standing  in  the  doorway  a  charming  maiden,  at  whose  sight  hia 
mind  seemed  to  give  way." 


64          THE  YELLOW  FALRY  BOOK. 

mirror "  Here  shyness  and  embarrassment  choked  her 

words,  but  regaining  her  self-control  she  added :  "  You 
know  that  fairies  insist  on  being  obeyed  without  question- 
ing. It  was  they  who  changed  the  little  house  you  saw 
before  you  into  the  fountain  for  which  you  are  now  asking, 
and  having  turned  me  into  a  frog,  they  ordered  me  to  say 
to  the  first  person  who  came  to  the  fountain  exactly  what 
I  repeated  to  you.  But,  my  lord,  when  you  stood  before 
me  it  was  agony  to  my  heart,  filled  as  it  was  with  thoughts 
of  you,  to  appear  to  your  eyes  under  so  monstrous  a  form. 
However,  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  painful  as  it  was,  I 
had  to  submit.  I  desired  your  success  with  all  my  soul, 
not  only  for  your  own  sake,  but  also  for  my  own,  because 
I  could  not  get  back  my  proper  shape  till  you  had  become 
master  of  the  beautiful  bird,  though  I  am  quite  ignorant 
as  to  your  reason  for  seeking  it." 

On  this  Saphir  explained  about  the  state  of  his  father's 
health  and  all  that  has  been  told  before. 

On  hearing  this  story  Serpentine  grew  very  sad,  and  her 
lovely  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"  Ah,  my  lord,"  she  said,  "  you  know  nothing  of  me  but 
what  you  have  seen  in  the  mirror;  and  I,  who  cannot  even 
name  my  parents,  learn  that  you  are  a  king's  son." 

In  vain  Saphir  declared  that  love  made  them  equal;  Ser- 
pentine would  only  reply :  "  I  love  you  too  much  to  allow 
you  to  marry  beneath  your  rank.  I  shall  be  very  unhappy, 
of  course,  but  I  shall  never  alter  my  mind.  If  I  do  not  find 
from  the  fairies  that  my  birth  is  worthy  of  you,  then,  what- 
ever be  my  feelings,  I  will  never  accept  your  hand." 

The  conversation  was  at  this  point,  and  bid  fair  to  last 
some  time  longer,  when  one  of  the  fairies  appeared  in  her 
ivory  car,  accompanied  by  a  beautiful  woman  past  her  early 
youth.  At  this  moment  the  bird  suddenly  awakened  and, 
flying  on  to  Saphir's  shoulder  (which  it  never  afterward 
left),  began  fondling  him  as  well  as  a  bird  can  do.  The 
fairy  told  Serpentine  that  she  was  quite  satisfied  with  her 
conduct  and  made  herself  very  agreeable  to  Saphir,  whom 
she  presented  to  the  lady  she  had  brought  with  her,  explain- 
ing that  the  lady  was  no  other  than  his  Aunt  Aglantine, 
widow  of  Diamantino. 

Then  they  all  fell  into  each  other's  arms,  till  the  fairy 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.          65 

mounted  her  chariot,  placed  Aglantine  by  her  side,  and 
Saphir  and  Serpentine  on  the  front  seat.  She  also  sent  a 
message  to  the  prince's  attendants  that  they  might  travel 
slowly  back  to  the  court  of  King  Peridor,  and  that  the 
beautiful  bird  had  really  been  found.  This  matter  being 
comfortably  arranged,  she  started  off  her  chariot.  But  in 
spite  of  the  swiftness  with  which  they  flew  through  the  air, 
the  time  passed  even  quicker  for  Saphir  and  Serpentine, 
who  had  so  much  to  think  about. 

They  were  still  quite  confused  with  the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing each  other  when  the  chariot  arrived  at  King  Peridor's 
palace.  He  had  had  himself  carried  to  a  room  on  the  roof, 
where  his  nurses  thought  that  he  would  die  at  any  moment. 
Directly  the  chariot  drew  within  sight  of  the  castle  the 
beautiful  bird  took  flight,  and  making  straight  for  the 
dying  king  at  once  cured  him  of  his  sickness.  Then  she 
resumed  her  natural  shape,  and  he  found  that  the  bird  was 
no  other  than  the  Queen  Constance,  whom  he  had  long 
believed  to  be  dead.  Peridor  was  rejoiced  to  embrace  his 
wife  and  his  son  once  more,  and  with  the  help  of  the  fairies 
began  to  make  preparations  for  the  marriage  of  Saphir  and 
Serpentine,  who  turned  out  to  be  the  daughter  of  Aglantine 
and  Diamantino,  and  as  much  a  princess  as  he  was  a  prince. 
The  people  of  the  kingdom  were  delighted,  and  everybody 
lived  happy  and  contented  to  the  end  of  their  lives. 


THE  SEVEN-HEADED  SEKPENT.* 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  king  who  determined  to 
take  a  long  voyage.  He  assembled  his  fleet  and  all  the  sea- 
men and  set  out.  They  went  straight  on,  night  and  day, 
until  they  came  to  an  island  which  was  covered  with  large 
trees,  and  under  every  tree  lay  a  lion.  As  soon  as  the  king 
had  landed  his  men  the  lions  all  rose  up  together  and  tried, 
to  devour  them.  After  a  long  battle  they  managed  to  over- 
come the  wild  beasts,  but  the  greater  number  of  the  men 
were  killed.  Those  who  remained  alive  now  went  on 
through  the  forest  and  found  on  the  other  side  of  it  a 

*"Die    Siebenkopfige    Schlange,"     from     Schmidt's      "  Gfriechische 

Marchen.  ' 


66  THE   YELLOW    FAIEY    BOOK. 

beautiful  garden,  in  which  all  the  plants  of  the  world 
flourished  together.  There  were  also  in  the  garden  three 
springs:  the  first  flowed  with  silver,  the  second  with  gold, 
and  the  third  with  pearls.  The  men  unbuckled  their 
knapsacks  and  filled  them  with  those  precious  things.  In 
the  middle  of  the  garden  they  found  a  large  lake,  and  when 
they  reached  the  edge  of  it  the  lake  began  to  speak  and  said 
to  them :  "  What  men  are  you  and  what  brings  you  here  ? 
Are  you  come  to  visit  our  king  ?  "  But  they  were  too  much 
frightened  to  answer. 

Then  the  lake  said :  "  You  do  well  to  be  afraid,  for  it  is 
at  your  peril  that  you  are  come  hither.  Our  king,  who  has 
seven  heads,  is  now  asleep,  but  in  a  few  minutes  he  will 
wake  up  and  come  to  me  to  take  his  bath!  Woe  to  anyone 
who  meets  him  in  the  garden,  for  it  is  impossible  to  escape 
from  him.  This  is  what  you  must  do  if  you  wish  to  save 
your  lives.  Take  off  your  clothes  and  spread  them  on  the 
path  which  leads  from  here  to  the  castle.  The  king  will 
then  glide  over  something  soft,  which  he  likes  very  much, 
and  he  will  be  so  pleased  with  that  that  he  will  not  devour 
you.  He  will  give  you  some  punishment,  but  then  he  will 
let  you  go." 

The  men  did  as  the  lake  advised  them  and  waited  for  a 
time.  At  noon  the  earth  began  to  quake  and  open  in  many 
places,  and  out  of  the  openings  appeared  lions,  tigers,  and 
other  wild  beasts,  which  surrounded  the  castle,  and  thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  beasts  came  out  of  the  castle  follow- 
ing their  king,  the  seven-headed  serpent.  The  serpent 
glided  over  the  clothes  which  were  spread  for  him,  came 
to  the  lake,  and  asked  it  who  had  strewed  those  soft  things 
on  the  path.  The  lake  answered  that  it  had  been  done  by 
people  who  had  come  to  do  him  homage.  The  king  com- 
manded that  the  men  should  be  brought  before  him. 
They  came  humbly  on  their  knees,  and  in  a  few  words 
told  him  their  story.  Then  he  spoke  to  them  with  a 
mighty  and  terrible  voice  and  said:  "Because  you  have 
dared  to  come  here,  I  lay  upon  you  the  punishment. 
Every  year  you  must  bring  me  from  among  your  people 
twelve  youths  and  twelve  maidens,  that  I  may  devour 
them.  If  you  do  not  do  this,  I  will  devour  your  whole 
nation." 


THE   YELLOW   FAIEY   BOOK. 


67 


Then  lie  desired  one  of  his  beasts  to  show  the  men  the 
out   of   the  garden   and   dismissed   them.     They   then 


-S even-headed. .Serbent 


left  the  island  and  went  back  to  their  own  country,  where 
they  related  what  had  happened  to  them.  Soon  the  time 
came  round  when  the  king  of  the  beasts  would  expect  the 
youths  and  maidens  to  be  brought  to  him.  The  king 


68          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

therefore  issued  a  proclamation  inviting  twelve  youths  and 
twelve  maidens  to  offer  themselves  up  to  save  their  coun- 
try; and  immediately  many  young  people,  far  more  than 
enough,  hastened  to  do  so.  A  new  ship  was  built  and  set 
with  black  sails,  and  in  it  the  youths  and  maidens  who 
were  appointed  for  the  king  of  the  beasts  embarked  and 
set  out  for  his  country.  When  they  arrived  there  they 
went  at  once  to  the  lake,  and  this  time  the  lions  did  not 
stir,  nor  did  the  springs  flow,  and  neither  did  the  lake 
speak.  So  they  waited  then,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
the  earth  quaked  even  more  terribly  than  the  first  time. 
The  seven-headed  serpent  came  without  his  train  of  beasts, 
saw  his  prey  waiting  for  him,  and  devoured  it  at  one 
mouthful.  Then  the  ship's  crew  returned  home,  and  the 
same  thing  happened  yearly  until  many  years  had  passed. 
Now,  the  king  of  this  unhappy  country  was  growing  old, 
and  so  was  the  queen,  and  they  had  no  children.  One  day 
the  queen  was  sitting  at  the  window  weeping  bitterly 
because  she  was  childless,  and  knew  that  the  crown  would 
therefore  pass  to  strangers  af^ter  the  king's  death.  Sud- 
denly a  little  old  woman  appeared  before  her,  holding  an 
apple  in  her  hand,  and  said :  "  Why  do  you  weep,  my 
queen,  and  what  makes  you  so  unhappy  ? " 

"Alas!  good  mother,"  answered  the  queen,  "I  am  un- 
happy because  I  have  no  children." 

"  Is  that  what  vexes  you  ?  "  said  the  old  woman.  "  Listen 
to  me.  I  am  a  nun  from  the  spinning  convent,*  and  my 
mother,  when  she  died,  left  me  this  apple.  Whoever  eats 
this  apple  shall  have  a  child." 

The  queen  gave  money  to  the  old  woman  and  bought 
the  apple  from  her.  Then  she  peeled  it,  ate  it,  and  threw, 
the  rind  out  of  the  window,  and  it  so  happened  that  a  mare 
that  was  running  loose  in  the  court  below  ate  up  the  rind. 
After  a  time  the  queen  had  a  little  boy  and  the  mare  also 
had  a  male  foal.  The  boy  and  the  foal  grew  up  together 
and  loved  each  other  like  brothers.  In  the  course  of  time  the 
king  died,  and  so  did  the  queen,  and  their  son,  who  was 
now  nineteen  years  old,  was  left  alone.  One  day,  when  he 
and  his  horse  were  talking  together,  the  horse  said  to  him: 

*  Convent  Gnothi. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          o 

"  Listen  to  me,  for  I  love  you  and  wish  for  your  good  and 
that  of  the  country.  If  you  go  on  every  year  sending 
twelve  youths  and  twelve  maidens  to  the  king  of  the 
beasts,  your  country  will  very  soon  be  ruined.  Mount 
upon  my  back.  I  will  take  you  to  a  woman  who  can  di- 
rect you  how  to  kill  the  seven-headed  serpent." 

Then  the  youth  mounted  his  horse,  who  carried  him  far 
away  to  a  mountain  which  was  hollow,  for  in  its  side  was 
a  great  underground  cavern.  In  the  cavern  sat  an  old 
woman  spinning.  This  was  the  cloister  of  the  nuns,  and 
the  old  woman  was  the  abbess.  They  all  spent  their  time 
in  spinning,  and  that  is  why  the  convent  has  this  name. 
All  round  the  walls  of  the  cavern  there  were  beds  cut  out  of 
the  solid  rock  upon  which  the  nuns  slept,  and  in  the  middle 
a  light  was  burning.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  nuns  to  watch 
the  light  in  turns,  that  it  might  never  go  out,  and  if  anyone 
of  them  let  it  go  out  the  others  put  her  to  death. 

As  soon  as  the  king's  son  saw  the  old  abbess  spinning  he 
threw  himself  at  her  feet  and  entreated  her  to  tell  him  how 
he  could  kill  the  seven-headed  serpent. 

She  made  the  youth  rise,  embraced  him,  and  said: 
"  Know,  my  son,  that  it  is  I  who  sent  the  nun  to  your 
mother  and  caused  you  to  be  born,  and  with  you  the 
horse,  with  whose  help  you  will  be  able  to  free  the 
world  from  the  monster.  I  will  tell  you  what  you  have  to 
do.  Load  your  horse  with  cotton  and  go  by  a  secret 
passage  which  I  will  show  you,  which  is  hidden  from  the 
wild  beasts,  to  the  serpent's  palace.  You  will  find  the 
king  asleep  upon  his  bed,  which  is  all  hung  around  with 
bells,  and  over  his  bed  you  will  see  a  sword  hanging. 
With  this  sword  only  is  it  possible  to  kill  the  serpent,  be- 
cause, even  if  its  blade  breaks,  a  new  one  will  grow  again 
for  every  head  the  monster  has.  Thus  you  will  be  able  to 
cut  off  all  his  seven  heads.  And  this  you  must  also  do  in 
order  to  deceive  the  king:  you  must  slip  into  his  bed- 
chamber very  softly  and  stop  up  all  the  bells  which  are 
round  his  bed  with  cotton.  Then  take  down  the  sword 
gently,  and  quickly  give  the  monster  a  blow  on  his  tail 
with  it.  This  will  make  him  waken  up,  and  if  he  catches 
sight  of  you  he  will  seize  you.  But  you  must  quickly  cut 
off  his  first  head  and  then  wait  until  the  next  one  comes  up. 


70          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

Then  strike  it  off  also,  and  so  go  on  until  you  have  cut  off 
all  his  seven  heads." 

The  old  abbess  then  gave  the  prince  her  blessing,  and  he 
set  out  upon  his  enterprise,  arrived  at  the  serpent's  castle 
by  following  the  secret  passage  which  she  had  shown  him, 
and  by  carefully  attending  to  all  her  directions  he  happily 
succeeded  in  killing  the  monster.  As  soon  as  the  wild 
beasts  heard  of  their  king's  death  they  all  hastened  to  the 
castle,  but  the  youth  had  long  since  mounted  his  horse  and 
was  already  far  out  of  their  reach.  They  pursued  him  as 
fast  as  they  could,  but  they  found  it  impossible  to  overtake 
him,  and  he  reached  home  in  safety.  Thus  he  freed  his 
country  from  this  terrible  oppression. 


THE  GEATEFUL  BEASTS  * 

There  were  once  upon  a  time  a  man  and  woman,  who 
had  three  fine-looking  sons,  but  they  were  so  poor  that 
they  had  hardly  enough  food  for  themselves,  let  alone  their 
children.  So  the  sons  determined  to  set  out  into  the  world 
and  try  their  luck.  Before  starting  their  mother  gave  them 
each  a  loaf  of  bread  and  her  blessing,  and  having  taken  a 
tender  farewell  of  her  and  their  father,  the  three  set  forth 
on  their  travels. 

The  youngest  of  the  three  brothers,  whose  name  was 
Ferko,  was  a  beautiful  youth,  with  a  splendid  figure,  blue 
eyes,  fair  hair,  and  a  complexion  like  milk  and  roses.  His 
two  brothers  were  as  jealous  of  him  as  they  could  be,  for 
they  thought  that  with  his  good  looks  he  would  be  sure  to 
be  more  fortunate  than  they  would  ever  be. 

One  day  all  the  three  were  sitting  resting  under  a  tree, 
for  the  sun  was  hot  and  they  were  tired  of  walking. 
Ferko  fell  fast  asleep,  but  the  other  two  remained  awake, 
and  the  eldest  said  to  the  second  brother:  "What  do  you 
say  to  doing  our  brother  Ferko  some  harm?  He  is  so 
beautiful  that  everyone  takes  a  fancy  to  him,  which  is 
more  than  they  do  to  us.  If  we  could  get  him  out  of  the 
way  we  might  succeed  better." 

*  From  the  Hungariaa.    Kletke. 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  71 

"I  quite  agree  with  you,"  answered  the  second  brother, 
"  and  my  advice  is  to  eat  up  his  loaf  of  bread,  and  then 
refuse  to  give  him.  a  bit  of  ours  until  he  has  promised  to 
let  us  put  out  his  eyes  or  break  his  legs." 

His  eldest  brother  was  delighted  with  his  proposal,  and 
the  two  wicked  wretches  seized  Ferko's  loaf  and  ate  it  all 
up  while  the  poor  boy  was  still  asleep. 

When  he  did  awake  he  felt  very  hungry  and  turned  to 
eat  his  bread,  but  his  brothers  cried  out :  "  You  ate  your 
loaf  in  your  sleep,  you  glutton,  and  you  may  starve  as 
long  as  you  like,  but  you  won't  get  a  scrap  of  ours." 

Ferko  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  how  he  could  have 
eaten  in  his  sleep,  but  he  said  nothing,  and  fasted  all  that 
day  and  the  next  night.  But  on  the  following  morning  he 
was  so  hungry  that  he  burst  into  tears  and  implored  his 
brothers  to  give  him  a  little  bit  of  their  bread.  Then  the 
cruel  creatures  laughed  and  repeated  what  they  had  said 
the  day  before;  but  when  Ferko  continued  to  beg  and 
beseech  them  the  eldest  said  at  last:  "If  you  will  let  us 
put  out  one  of  your  eyes  and  break  one  of  your  legs,  then 
we  will  give  you  a  bit  of  our  bread." 

At  these  words  poor  Ferko  wept  more  bitterly  than 
before,  and  bore  the  torments  of  hunger  till  the  sun  was 
high  in  the  heavens;  then  he  could  stand  it  no  longer,  and 
he  consented  to  allow  his  left  eye  to  be  put  out  and  his  left 
leg  to  be  broken.  When  this  was  done  he  stretched  out  his 
hand  eagerly  for  the  piece  of  bread,  but  his  brothers  gave 
him  such  a  tiny  scrap  that  the  starving  youth  finished  it  in 
a  moment  and  besought  them  for  a  second  bit. 

But  the  more  Ferko  wept  and  told  his  brothers  that  he 
was  dying  of  hunger,  the  more  they  laughed  and  scolded 
him  for  his  greed.  So  he  endured  the  pangs  of  starvation 
all  that  day,  but  when  night  came  his  endurance  gave  way, 
and  he  let  his  right  eye  be  put  out  and  his  right  leg  broken 
for  a  second  piece  of  bread. 

After  his  brothers  had  thus  successfully  maimed  and  dis- 
figured him  for  life,  they  left  him  groaning  on  the  ground 
and  continued  their  journey  without  him. 

Poor  Ferko  ate  up  the  scrap  of  bread  they  had  left  him 
and  wept  bitterly,  but  no  one  heard  him  or  came  to  his 
kelp.  Night  came  on,  and  the  poor  blind  youth  had  no 


72  THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

eyes  to  close,  and  could  only  crawl  along  the  ground,  not 
knowing  in  the  least  where  he  was  going.  But  when  the 
sun  was  once  more  high  in  the  heavens,  Ferko  felt  the 
blazing  heat  scorch  him  and  sought  for  some  cool,  shady 
place  to  rest  his  aching  limbs.  He  climbed  to  the  top  of 
a  hill  and  lay  down  in  the  grass,  and,  as  he  thought,  under 
the  shadow  of  a  big  tree.  But  it  was  no  tree  he  leaned 
against,  but  a  gallows  on  which  two  ravens  were  seated. 
The  one  was  saying  to  the  other  as  the  weary  youth  lay 
down: 

"Is  there  anything  the  least  wonderful  or  remarkable 
about  this  neighborhood  ?  " 

"  I  should  just  think  there  was,"  replied  the  other ; 
"many  things  that  don't  exist  anywhere  else  in  the  world. 
There  is  a  lake  down  there  below  us,  and  anyone  who 
bathes  in  it,  though  he  were  at  death's  door,  becomes 
sound  and  well  on  the  spot,  and  those  who  wash  their  eyes 
with  the  dew  on  this  hill  become  as  sharp-sighted  as  the 
eagle,  even  if  they  have  been  blind  from  their  youth." 

"  Well,"  answered  the  raven,  "  my  eyes  are  in  no  want 
of  this  healing  bath,  for,  Heaven  be  praised,  they  are 
as  good  as  ever  they  were;  but  my  wing  has  been  very 
feeble  and  weak  ever  since  it  was  shot  by  an  arrow  many 
years  ago,  so  let  us  fly  at  once  to  the  lake  that  I  may  be 
restored  to  health  and  strength  again."  And  so  they  flew 
away. 

Their  words  rejoiced  Ferko's  heart,  and  he  waited 
impatiently  till  evening  should  come  and  he  could  rub  the 
precious  dew  on  his  sightless  eyes. 

At  last  it  began  to  grow  dusk  and  the  sun  sank  behind 
the  mountains;  gradually  it  became  cooler  on  the  hill  and 
the  grass  grew  wet  with  dew.  Then  Ferko  buried  his 
face  in  the  ground  till  his  eyes  were  damp  with  dew  drops, 
and  in  a  moment  he  saw  clearer  than  he  had  ever  done  in 
his  life  before.  The  moon  was  shining  brightly  and  lighted 
him  to  the  lake  where  he  could  bathe  his  poor  broken  legs. 

Then  Ferko  crawled  to  the  edge  of  the  lake  and  dipped 
his  limbs  in  the  water.  No  sooner  had  he  done  so  than  his 
legs  felt  as  sound  and  strong  as  they  had  done  before,  and 
Ferko  thanked  the  kind  fate  that  had  led  him  to  the  hill 
where  he  had  overheard  the  ravens'  conversation.  He  filled 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.  7d 

a  bottle  with  the  healing  water  and  then  continued  his 
journey  in  the  best  of  spirits.  \ 

He  had  not  gone  far  before  he  met  a  wolf  who  was  limp- 
ing disconsolately  along  on  three  legs,  and  who,  on  perceiv- 
ing Ferko,  be^an  to  howl  dismally. 

"My  good  friend,"  said  the  youth,  "be  of  good  cheer, 
for  I  can  soon  heal  your  leg,"  and  with  these  words  he 


poured  some  of  the  precious  water  over  the  wolf's  paw, 
and  in  a  minute  the  animal  was  springing  about,  sound  and 
well,  on  all  fours.  The  grateful  creature  thanked  his 
benefactor  warmly  and  promised  Ferko  to  do  him  a  good 
turn  if  he  should  ever  need  it. 

Ferko  continued  his  way  till  he  came  to  a  plowed  field. 
Here  he  noticed  a  little  mouse  creeping  wearily  along  on  its 
hind  paws,  for  its  front  paws  had  both  been  broken  in  a  trap. 

Ferko  felt  so  sorry  for  the  little  beast  that  he  spoke  to  it 
in  the  most  friendly  manner  and  washed  its  small  paws 
with  the  healing  water.  In  a  moment  the  mouse  was 


74  THE    YELLOW    FAIEY    BOOK. 

sound  and  whole,  and  after  thanking  the  kind  physician  it 
scampered  away  over  the  plowed  furrows. 

Ferko  again  proceeded  on  his  journey,  but  he  hadn't 
gone  far  before  a  queen  bee  flew  against  him,  trailing  one 
wing  behind  her,  which  had  been  cruelly  torn  in  two  by  a 
big  bird.  Ferko  was  no  less  willing  to  help  her  than  he 
had  been  to  help  the  wolf  and  the  mouse,  so  he  poured 
some  healing  drops  over  the  wounded  wing.  On  the  spot 
the  queen  bee  was  cured,  and  turning  to  Ferko  she  said: 
"  I  am  most  grateful  for  your  kindness  and  shall  reward 
you  some  day."  And  with  these  words  she  flew  away,  hum- 
ming gayly. 

Then  Ferko  wandered  on  for  many  a  long  day  and  at 
length  reached  a  strange  kingdom.  Here,  he  thought  to 
himself,  he  might  as  well  go  straight  to  the  palace  and 
offer  his  services  to  the  king  of  the  country,  for  he  had 
heard  that  the  king's  daughter  was  as  beautiful  as  the  day. 

So  he  went  to  the  royal  palace,  and  as  he  entered  the  door 
the  first  people  he  saw  were  his  two  brothers  who  had  so 
shamefully  ill-treated  him.  They  had  managed  to  obtain 
places  in  the  king's  service,  and  when  they  recognized 
Ferko  with  his  eyes  and  legs  sound  and  well  they  were 
frightened  to  death,  for  they  feared  he  would  tell  the  king 
of  their  conduct  and  that  they  would  be  hung. 

"No  sooner  had  Ferko  entered  the  palace  than  all  eyes  were 
turned  on  the  handsome  youth,  and  the  king's  daughter  her- 
self was  lost  in  admiration,  for  she  had  never  seen  anyone 
so  handsome  in  her  life  before.  His  brothers  noticed  this, 
and  envy  and  jealousy  were  added  to  their  fear,  so  much  so 
that  they  determined  once  more  to  destroy  him.  They 
went  to  the  king  and  told  him  that  Ferko  was  a  wicked 
magician,  who  had  come  to  the  palace  with  the  intention  of 
carrying  off  the  princess. 

Then  the  king  had  Ferko  brought  before  him  and  said: 
"You  are  accused  of  being  a  magician  who  wishes  to  rob 
me  of  my  daughter,  and  I  condemn  you  to  death;  but  if 
you  can  fulfill  three  tasks  which  I  shall  set  you  to  do  your 
life  shall  be  spared,  on  condition  you  leave  the  country;  but 
if  you  cannot  perform  what  I  demand  you  shall  be  hung  on 
the  nearest  tree." 

And  turning  to  the  two  wicked  brothers  he  said :     "  Sug- 


THE   YELLOW   FAIET   BOOK. 


75 


gest  something  for  him  to  do.  No  matter  how  difficult,  he 
must  succeed  in  it  or  die." 

They  did  not  think  long,  but  replied:  "Let  him  build 
your  majesty  in  one  day  a  more  beautiful  palace  than  this, 
and  if  he  fails  in  the  attempt  let  him  be  hung." 

The  king  was  pleased  with  this  proposal  and  commanded 


Ferko  to  set  to  work  on  the  following  day.  The  two 
brothers  were  delighted,  for  they  thought  they  had  now  got 
rid  of  Ferko  forever.  The  poor  youth  himself  was  heart- 
broken and  cursed  the  hour  he  had  crossed  the  boundary  of 
the  king's  domain.  As  he  was  wandering  disconsolately 
about  the  meadows  round  the  palace,  wondering  how  he 
could  escape  being  put  to  death,  a  little  bee  flew  past,  and 
settling  on  his  shoulder  whispered  in  his  ear :  "  What  is 
troubling  you,  my  kind  benefactor?  Can  I  be  of  any  help 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

to  you?  I  am  the  bee  whose  wing  you  healed,  and  I  would 
like  to  show  my  gratitude  in  some  way." 

Ferko  recognized  the  queen  bee  and  said :  "  Alas !  how 
could  you  help  me?  for  I  have  been  set  to  do  a  task  which 
no  one  in  the  whole  world  could  do,  let  him  be  ever  such  a 
genius!  To-morrow  I  must  build  a  palace  more  beautiful 
than  the  king's,  and  it  must  be  finished  before  evening." 

"  Is  that  all  ? "  answered  the  bee.  "  Then  you  may  com- 
fort yourself,  for  before  the  sun  goes  down  to-morrow 
night  a  palace  shall  be  built  unlike  any  that  king  has 
dwelt  in  before.  Just  stay  here  until  I  come  again  and  tell 
you  that  it  is  finished."  Having  said  this  she  flew  merrily 
away,  and  Ferko,  reassured  by  her  words,  lay  down  on  the 
grass  and  slept  peacefully  till  the  next  morning. 

Early  on  the  following  day  the  whole  town  was  on  its 
feet,  and  everyone  wondered  how  and  where  the  stranger 
would  build  the  wonderful  palace.  The  princess  alone  was 
silent  and  sorrowful,  and  had  cried  all  night  till  her  pillow 
was  wet,  so  much  did  she  take  the  fate  of  the  beautiful 
youth  to  heart. 

Ferko  spent  the  whole  day  in  the  meadows,  awaiting  the 
return  of  the  bee.  And  when  evening  was  come  the  queen 
bee  flew  by,  and  perching  on  his  shoulder  she  said:  "The 
wonderful  palace  is  ready.  Be  of  good  cheer  and  lead  the 
king  to  the  hill  just  outside  the  city  walls."  And  hum- 
ming gayly,  she  flew  away  again. 

Ferko  went  at  once  to  the  king  and  told  him  the  palace 
was  finished.  The  whole  court  went  out  to  see  the  won- 
der, and  their  astonishment  was  great  at  the  sight  which 
met  their  eyes.  A  splendid  palace  reared  itself  on  the  hill 
just  outside  the  walls  of  the  city,  made  of  the  most 
exquisite  flowers  that  ever  grew  in  mortal  garden.  The 
roof  was  all  of  crimson  roses,  the  windows  of  lilies,  the 
walls  of  white  carnations,  the  floors  of  glowing  auriculas 
and  violets,  the  doors  of  gorgeous  tulips  and  narcissi  with 
sunflowers  for  knockers,  and  all  round  hyacinths  and  other 
sweet-smelling  flowers  bloomed  in  masses,  so  that  the  air 
was  perfumed,  and  enchanted  all  who  were  present. 

This  splendid  palace  had  been  built  by  the  grateful  queen 
bee,  who  had  summoned  all  the  other  bees  in  the  kingdom 
to  help  her. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK.          77 

The  king's  amazement  knew  no  bounds,  but  the  prin- 
cess' eyes  beamed  with  delight  as  she  turned  them  from  the 
wonderful  building  on  the  delighted  Ferko.  But  the  two 
brothers  had  grown  quite  green  with  envy,  and  only  de- 
clared the  more  that  Ferko  was  nothing  but  a  wicked  ma- 
gician. 

The  king,  although  he  had  been  surprised  and  astonished 
at  the  way  his  commands  had  been  carried  out,  was  very 
vexed  that  the  stranger  should  escape  with  his  life,  and 
turning  to  the  two  brothers  he  said :  "  He  has  certainly 
accomplished  the  first  task,  with  the  aid,  no  doubt,  of  his 
diabolical  magic;  but  what  shall  we  give  him  to  do  now? 
Let  us  make  it  as  difficult  as  possible,  and  if  he  fails  he  shall 
die." 

Then  the  eldest  brother  replied :  "  The  corn  has  all  been 
cut,  but  it  has  not  yet  been  put  into  barns.  Let  the  knave 
collect  all  the  grain  in  the  kingdom  into  one  big  heap 
before  to-morrow  night,  and  if  so  much  as  a  stalk  of  corn 
is  left  let  him  be  put  to  death." 

The  princess  grew  white  with  terror  when  she  heard 
these  words;  but  Ferko  felt  much  more  cheerful  than  he 
had  done  the  first  time,  and  wandered  out  into  the  meadows 
again,  wondering  how  he  was  to  get  out  of  the  difficulty. 
But  he  could  think  of  no  way  of  escape.  The  sun  sank  to 
rest  and  night  came  on,  when  a  little  mouse  started  out  of 
the  grass  at  Ferko's  feet  and  said  to  him:  "I'm  delighted 
to  see  you,  my  kind  benefactor;  but  why  are  you  looking 
so  sad?  Can  I  be  of  any  help  to  you,  and  thus  repay  your 
great  kindness  to  me  ?  " 

Then  Ferko  recognized  the  mouse  whose  front  paws  he 
had  healed  and  replied :  "  Alas !  how  can  you  help  me  in  a 
matter  that  is  beyond  any  human  power?  Before  to-mor- 
row night  all  the  grain  in  the  kingdom  has  to  be  gathered 
into  one  big  heap,  and  if  as  much  as  a  stalk  of  corn  is  want- 
ing I  must  pay  for  it  with  my  life." 

"Is  that  all?"  answered  the  mouse.  "That  needn't  dis- 
tress you  much.  Just  trust  in  me,  and  before  the  sun  sets 
again  you  shall  hear  that  your  task  is  done."  And  with 
these  words  the  little  creature  scampered  away  into  the 
fields. 

Ferko,  who  never  doubted  that  the  mouse  would  be   as 


78          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

good  as  its  word,  lay  down  comforted  on  the  soft  grass  and 
slept  soundly  till  next  morning.  The  day  passed  slowly, 
and  with  the  evening  came  the  little  mouse  and  said :  "  Now 
there  is  not  a  single  stalk  of  corn  left  in  any  field;  they  are 
all  collected  in  one  big  heap  on  the  hill  out  there." 

Then  Ferko  went  joyfully  to  the  king  and  told  him  that 
all  he  demanded  had  been  done.  And  the  whole  court  went 
out  to  see  the  wonder,  and  were  no  less  astonished  than  they 
had  been  the  first  time.  For  in  a  heap  higher  than  the 
king's  palace  lay  all  the  grain  of  the  country,  and  not  a 
single  stalk  of  corn  had  been  left  behind  in  any  of  the  fields. 
And  how  had  all  this  been  done?  The  little  mouse  had 
summoned  every  other  mouse  in  the  land  to  its  help,  and 
together  they  had  collected  all  the  grain  in  the  kingdom. 

The  king  could  not  hide  his  amazement,  but  at  the  same 
time  his  wrath  increased,  and  he  was  more  ready  than  ever 
to  believe  the  two  brothers,  who  kept  on  repeating  that 
Ferko  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  wicked  magician. 
Only  the  beautiful  princess  rejoiced  over  Ferko's  success 
and  looked  on  him  with  friendly  glances,  which  the  youth 
returned. 

The  more  the  cruel  king  gazed  on  the  wonder  before  him, 
the  more  angry  he  became,  for  he  could  not,  in  the  face  of 
his  promise,  put  the  stranger  to  death.  He  turned  once 
more  to  the  two  brothers  and  said:  "His  diabolical  magic 
has  helped  him  again;  but  now  what  third  task  shall  we  set 
him  to  do?  No  matter  how  impossible  it  is,  he  must  do  it 
or  die." 

The  eldest  answered  quickly:  "Let  him  drive  all  the 
wolves  of  the  kingdom  on  this  hill  before  to-morrow  night. 
If  he  does  this  he  may  go  free ;  if  not,  he  shall  be  hung  as 
you  have  said." 

At  these  words  the  princess  burst  into  tears,  and  when 
the  king  saw  this  he  ordered  her  to  be  shut  up  in  a  high 
tower  and  carefully  guarded  till  the  dangerous  magician 
should  have  either  have  left  the  kingdom  or  been  hung  on  the 
nearest  tree. 

Ferko  wandered  out  into  the  fields  again  and  sat  down 
on  the  stump  of  a  tree,  wondering  what  he  should  do  next. 
Suddenly  a  big  wolf  ran  up  to  him,  and  standing  still  said: 
"I'm  very  glad  to  see  you  again,  my  kind  benefactor. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  79 

What  are  you  thinking  about,  all  alone  by  yourself?  If  I 
can  help  you  in  any  way  only  say  the  word,  for  I  would 
like  to  give  you  a  proof  of  my  gratitude." 

Ferko  at  once  recognized  the  wolf  whose  broken  leg  he 
had  healed  and  told  him  what  he  had  to  do  the  following 
day  if  he  wished  to  escape  with  his  life.  "  But  how  in  the 
world,"  he  added,  "  am  I  to  collect  all  the  wolves  of  the 
kingdom  on  to  that  hill  over  there  ? " 

"  If  that  is  all  you  want  done,"  answered  the  wolf,  "  you 
needn't  worry  yourself.  I'll  undertake  the  task,  and  you'll 
hear  from  me  again  before  sunset  to-morrow.  Keep  your 
spirits  up."  And  with  these  words  he  trotted  quickly  away. 

Then  the  youth  rejoiced  greatly,  for  now  he  felt  that  his 
life  was  safe;  but  he  grew  very  sad  when  he  thought  of  the 
beautiful  princess,  and  that  he  would  never  see  her  again  if 
he  left  the  country.  He  lay  down  once  more  on  the  grass 
and  soon  fell  fast  asleep. 

All  the  next  day  he  spent  wandering  about  the  fields,  and 
toward  evening  the  wolf  came  running  to  him  in  a  great 
hurry4 and  said:  "I  have  collected  together  all  the  wolves 
in  the  kingdom,  and  they  are  waiting  for  you  in  the  wood. 
Go  quickly  to  the  king  and  tell  him  to  go  to  the  hill  that 
he  may  see  the  wonder  you  have  done  with  his  own 
eyes.  Then  return  at  once  to  me  and  get  on  my  back,  and 
I  will  help  you  to  drive  all  of  the  wolves  together." 

Then  Ferko  went  straight  to  the  palace  and  told  the  king 
that  he  was  ready  to  perform  the  third  task,  if  he  would 
come  to  the  hill  and  see  it  done.  Ferko  himself  returned 
to  the  fields,  and  mounting  on  the  wolf's  back  he  rode  to 
the  wood,  close  by. 

Quick  as  lightning  the  wolf  flew  round  the  wood,  and  in 
a  minute  many  hundred  wolves  rose  up  before  him, 
increasing  in  number  every  moment  till  they  could  be 
counted  by  thousands.  He  drove  them  all  before  him  on 
to  the  hill  where  the  king  and  his  whole  court  and  Ferko's 
two  brothers  were  standing.  Only  the  lovely  princess  was 
not  present,  for  she  was  shut  up  in  her  tower,  weeping  bit- 
terly. 

The  wicked  brothers  stamped  and  foamed  with  rage 
when  they  saw  the  failure  of  their  wicked  designs.  But 
the  king  was  overcome  by  a  sudden  terror  when  he  saw  the 


80  THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

enormous  pack  of  wolves  approaching  nearer  and  nearer, 
and  calling  out  to  Ferko  lie  said :  "  Enougfc,  enough,  we 
don't  want  any  more." 

But  the  wolf  on  whose  back  Ferko  sat  said  to  its  rider, 
"  Go  on !   go   on !  "   and  at  the  same  moment  many  more 


Ferko  leads  the  Wolves  on. 

wolves  ran  up  the  hill,  howling  horribly  and  showing  their 
white  teeth. 

The  king  in  his  terror  called  out :  "  Stop  a  moment !  I 
will  give  you  half  my  kingdom  if  you  will  drive  all  the 
wolves  away."  But  Ferko  pretended  not  to  hear  and  drove 
some  more  thousands  before  tim,  so  that  everyone  quaked 
with  horror  and  fear. 

Then   the   king  raised  his   voice  again   and   called   out: 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.  81 

"  Stop !  You  shall  I  have  my  whole  kingdom  if  you  will  only 
drive  these  wolves  back  to  the  places  they  came  from." 

But  the  wolf  kept  on  encouraging  Ferko  and  said :  "  Go 
on !  go  on ! "  So  he  led  the  wolves  on,  till  at  Jast  they  fell 
on  the  king  and  on  the  wicked  brothers  and  ate  them  and 
the  whole  court  up  in  a  moment. 

Then  Ferko  went  straight  to  the  palace  and  set  the 
princess  free,  and  on  the  same  day  he  married  her  and  was 
crowned  king  of  the  country.  And  the  wolves  all  went 
peacefully  back  to  their  own  homes,  and  Ferko  and  his 
bride  lived  for  many  years  in  peace  and  happiness  together 
and  were  much  beloved  by  great  and  small  in  the  land. 


THE  GIANTS  AND  THE  HERD-BOY.* 

There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  poor  boy  who  had  neither 
father  nor  mother.  In  order  to  gain  a  living  he  looked 
after  the  sheep  of  a  great  lord.  Day  and  night  he  spent 
out  in  the  open  fields,  and  only  when  it  was  very  wet  and 
stormy  did  he  take  refuge  in  a  little  hut  on  the  edge  of  a 
big  forest.  Now,  one  night,  when  he  was  sitting  on  the 
grass  beside  his  flocks,  he  heard  not  very  far  from  him  the 
sound  as  of  someone  crying.  He  rose  up  and  followed  the 
direction  of  the  noise.  To  his  dismay  and  astonishment 
he  found  a  giant  lying  at  the  entrance  of  the  wood.  He 
was  about  to  run  off  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him, 
when  the  giant  called  out:  "Don't  be  afraid — I  won't 
harm  you.  On  the  contrary,  I  will  reward  you  handsomely 
if  you  will  bind  up  my  foot.  I  hurt  it  when  I  was  trying 
to  root  up  an  oak  tree."  The  herd-boy  took  off  his  shirt 
and  bound  up  the  giant's  wounded  foot  with  it.  Then  the 
giant  rose  up  and  said:  "Now  come  and  I  will  reward 
you.  We  are  going  to  celebrate  a  marriage  to-day,  and  I 
promise  you  we  shall  have  plenty  of  fun.  Come  and  enjoy 
yourself,  but  in  order  that  my  brothers  mayn't  see  you, 
put  this  band  round  your  waist  and  then  you'll  be  invisible." 
With  these  words  he  handed  the  herd-boy  a  belt,  and  walk- 
ing on  in  front  he  led  him  to  a  fountain,  where  hundreds  of 
giants  and  giantesses  were  assembled,  preparing  to  hold  a 
*  From  the  "  Buckowniaer."  Von  Wliolocki. 


82          THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

wedding.  They  danced  and  played  different  games  till 
midnight;  then  one  of  the  giants  tore  up  a  plant  by  its 
roots,  and  all  the  giants  and  giantesses  made  themselves  so 
thin  that  they  disappeared  into  the  earth  through  the  hole 
made  by  the  uprooting  of  the  plant.  The  wounded  giant 
remained  behind  to  the  last  and  called  out :  "  Herd-boy, 
where  are  you  ? "  "  Here  I  am,  close  to  you,"  was  the 
reply.  "  Touch  me,"  said  the  giant,  "  so  that  you  too  may 
come  with  us  underground."  The  herd-boy  did  as  he  was 
told,  »nd  before  he  could  have  believed  it  possible  he  found 


The  Herd-boy  Binds  up  the  Giant's  Foot. 

himself  in  a  big  hall,  where  even  the  walls  were  made  of 
pure  gold.  Then  to  his  astonishment  he  saw  that  the  hall 
was  furnished  with  the  tables  and  chairs  that  belonged  to 
his  master.  In  a  few  minutes  the  company  began  to  eat 
and  drink.  The  banquet  was  a  very  gorgeous  one,  and 
the  poor  youth  fell  to  and  ate  and  drank  lustily.  When  he 
had  eaten  and  drunk  as  much  as  he  could  he  thought  to 
himself,  "Why  shouldn't  I  put  a  loaf  of  bread  in  my 
pocket?  I  shall  be  glad  of  it  to-morrow."  So  he  seized  a 
loaf  when  no  one  was  looking  and  stowed  it  away  under 
his  tunic.  No  sooner  had  he  done  so  than  the  wounded 
giant  limped  up  to  him  and  whispered  softly:  "Herd-boy, 
where  are  you?"  "Here  I  am,"  replied  the  youth. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  83 

"  Then  hold  on  to  me,"  said  the  giant,  "  so  that  I  may  lead 
you  up  above  again."  So  the  herd-boy  held  on  to  the  giant, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  he  found  himself  on  the  earth  once 
more,  but  the  giant  had  vanished.  The  herd-boy  returned 
to  his  sheep  and  took  off  the  invisible  belt,  which  he  hid 
carefully  in  his  bag. 

The  next  morning  the  lad  felt  hungry  and  thought  he 
would  cut  off  a  piece  of  the  loaf  he  had  carried  away  from 
the  giant's  wedding-feast  and  eat  it.  But  although  he 
tried  with  all  his  might,  he  couldn't  cut  off  the  smallest 
piece.  Then  in  despair  he  bit  the  loaf,  and  what  was  his 
astonishment  when  a  piece  of  gold  fell  out  of  his  mouth, 
and  rolled  at  his  feet.  He  bit  the  bread  a  second  and  third 
time,  and  each  time  a  piece  of  gold  fell  out  of  his  mouth; 
but  the  bread  remained  untouched.  The  herd-boy  was 
very  much  delighted  over  his  stroke  of  good  fortune,  and 
hiding  the  magic  loaf  in  his  bag,  he  hurried  off  to  the 
nearest  village  to  buy  himself  something  to  eat  and  then 
returned  to  his  sheep. 

I^ow,  the  lord  whose  sheep  the  herd-boy  looked  after  had 
a  very  lovely  daughter,  who  always  smiled  and  nodded  to 
the  youth  when  she  walked  with  her  father  in  his  fields. 
For  a  long  time  the  herd-boy  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
prepare  a  surprise  for  this  beautiful  creature  on  her  birth- 
day. So  when  the  day  approached  he  put  on  his  invisible 
belt,  took  a  sack  of  gold  pieces  with  him,  and  slipping  into 
her  room  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  he  placed  the  bag  of 
gold  beside  her  bed  and  returned  to  his  sheep.  The  girl's 
joy  was  great,  and  so  was  her  parents'  next  day  when  they 
found  the  sackful  of  gold-pieces.  The  herd-boy  was  so 
pleased  to  think  what  pleasure  he  had  given  that  the  next 
night  he  placed  another  bag  of  gold  beside  the  girl's  bed. 
And  this  he  continued  to  do  for  seven  nights,  and  the  girl 
and  her  parents  made  up  their  minds  that  it  must  be  a  good 
fairy  who  brought  the  gold  every  night.  But  one  night 
they  determined  to  watch  and  see  from  their  hiding-place 
who  the  bringer  of  the  sack  of  gold  really  was. 

On  the  eighth  night  a  fearful  storm  of  wind  and  rain 
came  on  while  the  herd-boy  was  on  his  way  to  bring  the 
beautiful  girl  another  bag  of  gold.  Then  for  the  first 
time  he  noticed,  just  as  he  reached  his  master's  house,  that 


84          THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

lie  had  forgotten  the  belt  which  made  him  invisible.  He 
didn't  like  the  idea  of  going  back  to  his  hut  in  the  wind 
and  wet,  so  he  just  stepped  as  he  was  into  the  girl's  room, 
laid  the  sack  of  gold  beside  her,  and  was  turning  to  leave 
the  room,  when  his  master  confronted  him  and  said :  "  You 
young  rogue,  so  you  were  going  to  steal  the  gold  that  a 
good  fairy  brings  every  night,  were  you  ? "  The  herd-boy 
was  so  taken  aback  by  his  words  that  he  stood  trembling 
before  him. and  did  not  dare  to  explain  his  presence.  Then 
his  master  spoke.  "  As  you  have  hitherto  always  behaved 
well  in  my  service  I  will  not  send  you  to  prison;  but  leave 
your  place  instantly  and  never  let  me  see  your  face  again." 
So  the  herd-boy  went  back  to  his  hut,  and  taking  his  loaf 
and  belt  with  him,  he  went  to  the  nearest  town.  There  he 
bought  himself  some  fine  clothes  and  a  beautiful  coach  with 
four  horses,  hired  two  servants,  and  drove  back  to  his 
master.  You  may  imagine  how  astonished  he  was  to  see 
his  herd-boy  returning  to  him  in  this  manner !  Then  the 
youth  told  him  of  the  piece  of  good  luck  that  had  befallen 
him  and  asked  him  for  the  hand  of  his  beautiful  daughter. 
This  was  readily  granted,  and  the  two  lived  in  peace  and 
happiness  to  the  end  of  their  lives. 


THE  INVISIBLE  PEINCE. 

Once  upon  a  time  there  lived  a  fairy  who  had  power 
over  the  earth,  the  sea,  fire,  and  the  air;  and  this  fairy  had 
four  sons.  The  eldest,  who  was  quick  and  lively,  with  a 
vivid  imagination,  she  made  lord  of  fire,  which  was  in  her 
opinion  the  noblest  of  all  the  elements.  To  the  second  son, 
whose  wisdom  and  prudence  made  amends  for  his  being 
rather  dull,  she  gave  the  government  of  $ie  earth.  The 
third  was  wild  and  savage  and  of  monstrous  stature;  and 
the  fairy,  his  mother,  who  was  ashamed  of  his  defects, 
hoped  to  hide  them  by  creating  him  king  of  the  seas.  The 
youngest,  who  was  the  slave  of  his  passions  and  of  a  very 
uncertain  temper,  became  prince  of  the  air. 

Being  the  youngest,  he  was  naturally  his  mother's 
favorite;  but  this  did  not  blind  her  to  his  weaknesses,  and 
she  foresaw  that  some  day  he  would  suffer  much  paia 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  85 

through  falling  in  love.  So  she  thought  the  best  thing  she 
could  do  was  to  bring  him  up  with  a  horror  of  women,  and, 
to  her  great  delight,  she  saw  this  dislike  only  increased  as 
he  grew  older.  From  his  earliest  childhood  he  heard  noth- 
ing but  stories  of  princes  who  had  fallen  into  all  sorts  of 
troubles  through  love,  and  she  drew  such  terrible  pictures 
of  poor  little  Cupid  that  the  young  man  had  no  difficulty  in 
believing  that  he  was  the  root  of  all  evil. 

All  the  time  that  this  wise  mother  could  spare  from  fill- 
ing her  son  with  hatred  for  all  womankind  she  passed  in 
giving  him  a  love  of  the  pleasures  of  the  chase,  which 
henceforth  became  his  chief  joy.  For  his  amusement  she 
had  made  a  new  forest,  planted  with  the  most  splendid 
trees,  and  turned  loose  in  it  every  animal  that  could  be 
found  in  any  of  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe.  In  the 
midst  of  this  forest  she  built  a  palace  which  had  not  its 
equal  for  beauty  in  the  whole  world,  and  then  she  con- 
sidered that  she  had  done  enough  to  make  any  prince 
happy. 

Now,  it  is  all  very  well  to  abuse  the  God  of  Love,  but  a 
man  cannot  struggle  against  his  fate.  In  his  secret  heart 
the  prince  got  tired  of  his  mother's  constant  talk  on  this 
subject,  and  when  one  day  she  quitted  the  palace  to  attend 
to  some  business,  begging  him  never  to  go  beyond  the 
grounds,  he  at  once  jumped  at  the  chance  of  disobeying  her. 

Left  to  himself  the  prince  soon  forgot  the  wise  counsels 
of  his  mother,  and  feeling  very  much  bored  with  his  own 
company,  he  ordered  some  of  the  spirits  of  the  air  to  carry 
him  to  the  court  of  a  neighboring  sovereign.  This  king- 
dom was  situated  in  the  Island  of  Roses,  where  the  climate 
is  so  delicious  that  the  grass  is  always  green  and  the  flowers 
always  sweet.  The  waves,  instead  of  beating  on  the  rocks, 
seemed  to  die  gently  on  the  shore;  clusters  of  golden 
bushes  covered  the  land,  and  the  vines  were  bent  low  with 
grapes. 

The  king  of  this  island  had  a  daughter  named  Rosalie, 
who  was  more  lovely  than  any  girl  in  the  whole  world. 
No  sooner  had  the  eyes  of  the  prince  of  the  air  rested  on 
her  than  he  forgot  all  the  terrible  woes  which  had  been 
prophesied  to  him  ever  since  he  was  born,  for  in  one  single 
moment  the  plans  of  years  are  often  upset.  He  instantly 


86          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

began  to  think  how  best  to  make  himself  happy,  and  the 
shortest  way  that  occurred  to  him  was  to  have  Rosalie 
carried  off  by  his  attendant  spirits. 

It  is  easy  to  imagine  the  feelings  of  the  king  when  he 
found  that  his  daughter  had  vanished.  He  wept  her  loss 
night  and  day,  and  his  only  comfort  was  to  talk  over  it  with 
a  young  and  unknown  prince  who  had  just  arrived  at  the 
court.  Alas!  he  did  not  know  what  a  deep  interest  the 
stranger  had  in  Rosalie,  for  he  too  had  seen  her  and  had 
fallen  a  victim  to  her  charms. 

One  day  the  king,  more  sorrowful  than  usual,  was  walk- 
ing sadly  along  the  seashore,  when  after  a  long  silence 
the  unknown  prince,  who  was  his  only  companion,  sud- 
denly spoke.  "  There  is  no  evil  without  a  remedy,"  he 
said  to  the  unhappy  father ;  "  and  if  you  will  promise 
me  your  daughter  in  marriage  I  will  undertake  to  bring  her 
back  to  you." 

"You  are  trying  to  soothe  me  by  vain  promises,"  an- 
swered the  king.  "  Did  I  not  see  her  caught  up  into  the 
air,  in  spite  of  cries  which  would  have  softened  the  heart 
of  anyone  but  the  barbarian  who  has  robbed  me  of  her? 
The  unfortunate  girl  is  pining  away  in  some  unknown  land, 
where  perhaps  no  foot  of  man  has  ever  trod,  and  I  shall 
see  her  no  more.  But  go,  generous  stranger;  bring  back 
Rosalie  if  you  can,  and  live  happy  with  her  ever  after  in  % 
this  country,  of  which  I  now  declare  you  heir." 

Although  the  stranger's  name  and  rank  were  unknown 
to  Rosalie's  father,  he  was  really  the  son  of  the  king  of  the 
Golden  Isle,  which  had  for  capital  a  city  that  extended 
from  one  sea  to  another.  The  walls,  washed  by  the  quiet 
waters,  were  covered  with  gold,  which  made  one  think  of 
the  yellow  sands.  Above  them  was  a  rampart  of  orange 
and  lemon  trees,  and  all  the  streets  were  paved  with  gold. 
The  king  of  this  beautiful  island  had  one  son,  for  whom  a 
life  of  adventure  had  been  foretold  at  his  birth.  This  so 
frightened  his  father  and  mother  that  in  order  to  comfort 
them  a  fairy,  who  happened  to  be  present  at  the  time,  pro- 
duced a  little  pebble  which  she  told  them  to  keep  for  the 
prince  till  he  grew  up,  as  by  putting  it  in  his  mouth  he 
would  become  invisible  as  long  as  he  did  not  try  to  speak, 
for  if  he  did  the  stone  would  lose  all  its  virtue.  In  this  way 


THE   YELLOW   FAIKY   BOOK.  87 

the  good  fairy  hoped  that  the  prince  would  be  protected 
against  all  dangers. 

No  sooner  did  the  prince  begin  to  grow  out  of  boyhood 
than  he  longed  to  see  if  the  other  countries  of  the  world 
were  as  splendid  as  the  one  in  which  he  lived.  So,  under 
pretense  of  visiting  some  small  islands  that  belonged  to  his 
father,  he  set  out.  But  a  frightful  storm  drove  his  ship  on 
to  unknown  shores,  where  most  of  his  followers  were  put 
to  death  by  the  savages,  and  the  prince  himself  only 
managed  to  escape  by  making  use  of  his  magic  pebble.  By 
this  means  he  passed  through  the  midst  of  them  unseen  and 
wandered  on  till  he  reached  the  coast,  where  he  re-embarked 
on  board  his  ship. 

The  first  land  he  sighted  was  the  Island  of  Roses,  and  he 
went  at  once  to  the  court  of  the  king,  Rosalie's  father.  The 
moment  his  eyes  beheld  the  princess  he  fell  in  love  with  her, 
like  everyone  else. 

He  had  already  spent  several  months  in  this  condition 
when  the  prince  of  the  air  whirled  her  away,  to  the  grief 
and  despair  of  every  man  on  the  island.  But  sad  though 
everybody  was,  the  Prince  of  the  Golden  Isle  was  perfectly 
inconsolable,  and  he  passed  both  days  and  nights  in  be- 
moaning his  loss. 

"  Alas !  "  he  cried ;  "  shall  I  never  see  my  lovely  princess 
again?  Who  knows  where  she  may  be  and  what  fairy  may 
have  her  in  his  keeping?  I  am  only  a  man,  but  I  am  strong 
in  my  love,  and  I  will  seek  the  whole  world  through  till  I 
find  her." 

So  saying,  he  left  the  court  and  made  ready  for  his  journey. 

He  traveled  many  weary  days  without  hearing  a  single 
word  of  the  lost  princess,  till  one  morning,  as  he  was  walk- 
ing through  a  thick  forest,  he  suddenly  perceived  a  mag- 
nificent palace  standing  at  the  end  of  a  pine  avenue,  and  his 
heart  bounded  to  think  that  he  might  be  gazing  on  Rosalie's 
prison.  He  hastened  his  steps  and  quickly  arrived  at  the 
gate  of  the  palace,  which  was  formed  of  a  single  agate. 
The  gate  swung  open  to  let  him  through,  and  he  next 
passed  successively  three  courts,  surrounded  by  deep  ditches 
filled  with  running  water,  with  birds  of  brilliant  plumage 
flying  about  the  banks.  Everything  around  was  rare  and 
beautiful,  but  the  prince  scarcely  raised  his  eyes  to  all  these 


88  THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

wonders.  He  thought  only  of  the  princess  and  where 
he  should  find  her,  but  in  vain  he  opened  every  door 
and  searched  in  every  corner;  he  neither  saw  Rosalie  nor 
anyone  else.  At  last  there  was  no  place  left  for  him  to 
search  but  a  little  wood,  which  contained  in  the  center  a 
sort  of  hall  built  entirely  of  orange-trees,  with  four  small 
rooms  opening  out  of  the  corners.  Three  of  these  were 
empty  except  for  statues  and  wonderful  things,  but  in  the 
fourth  the  invisible  prince  caught  sight  of  Rosalie.  His 
joy  at  beholding  her  again  was,  however,  somewhat  les- 
sened by  seeing  that  the  prince  of  the  air  was  kneeling  at 
her  feet  and  pleading  his  own  cause.  But  it  was  in  vain 
that  he  implored  her  to  listen;  she  only  shook  her  head. 
"  No,"  was  all  she  would  say ;  "  you  snatched  me  from  my 
father,  whom  I  loved,  and  all  the  splendor  in  the  world 
can  never  console  me.  Go!  I  can  never  feel  anything 
toward  you  but  hate  and  contempt."  With  these  words 
she  turned  away  and  entered  her  own  apartments. 

Unknown  to  herself  the  invisible  prince  had  followed 
her,  but  fearing  to  be  discovered  by  the  princess  in  the 
presence  of  others,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  wait  quietly  till 
dark,  and  employed  the  long  hours  in  writing  a  poem  to  the 
princess,  which  he  laid  on  the  bed  beside  her.  This  done, 
he  thought  of  nothing  but  how  best  to  deliver  Rosalie,  and 
he  resolved  to  take  advantage  of  a  visit  which  the  prince  of 
the  air  paid  every  year  to  his  mother  and  brothers  in  order 
to  strike  the  blow. 

One  day  Rosalie  was  sitting  alone  in  her  room  thinking 
of  her  troubles,  when  she  suddenly  saw  a  pen  get  up  from 
off  the  desk  and  begin  to  write  all  by  itself  on  a  sheet  of 
white  paper.  As  she  did  not  know  that  it  was  guided  by 
an  invisible  hand  she  was  very  much  astonished,  and  the 
moment  that  the  pen  had  ceased  to  move  she  instantly  went 
over  to  the  table,  where  she  found  some  lovely  verses,  tell- 
ing her  that  another  shared  her  distresses,  whatever  they 
might  be,  and  loved  her  with  all  his  heart;  and  that  he 
would  never  rest  until  he  had  delivered  her  from  the  hands 
of  the  man  she  hated.  Thus  encouraged,  she  told  him  all 
her  story  and  of  the  arrival  of  a  young  stranger  in  her 
father's  palace,  whose  looks  had  so  charmed  her  that  since 
that  day  she  had  thought  of  no  one  else.  At  these  words  the 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


89 


prince  could  contain  himself  no  longer.     He  took  the  peb- 
ble from  his  mouth  and  flung  KTmself  at  Rosalie's  feet. 

When  they  had  got  over  the  first  rapture  jof  meeting  they 
began  to  make  plans  to  escape  from  the  power  of  the  prince 


of  the  air.  But  this  did  not  prove  easy,  for  the  magic  stone 
would  only  serve  for  one  person  at  a  time,  and  in  order  to 
save  Rosalie  the  Prince  of  the  Golden  Isle  would  have  to 
expose  himself  to  the  fury  of  his  enemy.  But  Rosalie 
Would  not  hear  of  this. 

"  No,  prince,"  she  said.     "  Since  you  are  here  this  island 
no  longer  feels  a  prison.     Besides,  you  are  under  the  pro- 


90  THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

tection  of  a  fairy,  who  always  visits  your  father's  court  at 
this  season.  Go  instantly  and  seek  her,  and  when  she  is 
found  implore  the  gift  of  another  stone  with  similar  powers. 
Once  you  have  that,  there  will  be  no  further  difficulty  in 
the  way  of  escape." 

The  prince  of  the  air  returned  a  few  days  later  from  his 
mother's  palace,  but  the  invisible  prince  had  already  set* 
out.  He  had,  however,  entirely  forgotten  the  road  by 
which  he  had  come,  and  lost  himself  for  so  long  in  the 
forest  that  when  at  last  he  reached  home  the  fairy  had 
already  left,  and  in  spite  of  all  his  grief  there  was  nothing 
for  it  but  to  wait  till  the  fairy's  next  visit  and  allow  Rosalie 
to  suffer  three  months  longer.  This  thought  drove  him 
to  despair,  and  he  had  almost  made  up  his  mind  to  return 
to  the  place  of  her  captivity,  when  one  day,  as  he  was 
strolling  along  an  alley  in  the  woods,  he  saw  a  huge  oak 
open  its  trunk  and  out  of  it  step  two  princes  in  earnest  con- 
versation. As  our  hero  had  the  magic  stone  in  his  mouth 
they  imagined  themselves  alone  and  did  not  lower  their 
voices. 

"  What ! "  said  one,  "  are  you  always  going  to  allow 
yourself  to  be  tormented  by  a  passion  which  can  never  end 
happily,  and  in  your  whole  kingdom  can  you  find  nothing 
else  to  satisfy  you  ? " 

"What  is  the  use,"  replied  the  other,  "of  being  prince 
of  the  gnomes  and  having  a  mother  who  is  queen  over  all 
the  four  elements,  if  I  cannot  win  the  love  of  the  Princess 
Argentine?  From  the  moment  that  I  saw  her  sitting  in  the 
forest  surrounded  by  flowers,  I  have  never  ceased  to  think 
of  her  night  and  day,  and  although  I  love  her  I  am  quite 
convinced  that  she  will  never  care  for  me.  You  know  that 
I  have  in  my  palace  the  cabinets  of  the  years.  In  the  first, 
great  mirrors  reflect  the  past;  in  the  second,  we  contem- 
plate the  present;  in  the  third,  the  future  can  be  read.  It 
was  here  that  I  fled  after  I  had  gazed  on  the  Princess 
Argentine,  but  instead  of  love  I  only  saw  scorn  and  con- 
tempt. Think  how  great  must  be  my  devotion  when,  in 
spite  of  my  fate,  I  still  love  on !  " 

Now  the  Prince  of  the  Golden  Isle  was  enchanted  with 
this  conversation,  for  the  Princess  Argentine  was  his  sister, 
and  he  hoped,  by  means  of  her  influence  over  the  prince  of 


THE   YELLOW    FAIEY   BOOK.  91 

the    gnomes,    to    obtain    from   his    brother    the    release    of 
Kosalie.      So   he   joyfully   returned   to   his   father's  palace, 


where  he  found  his  friend  the  fairy,  who  at  once  presented 
him  with  a  magic  pebble  like  his  own.  As  may  be  im- 
agined, he  lost  no  time  in  setting  out  to  deliver  Rosalie, 
and  traveled  so  fast  that  he  soon  arrived  at  the  forest  in  the 


92          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

midst  of  which,  she  lay  a  captive.  But  though  he  found  the 
palace  he  did  not  find  Rosalie.  He  hunted  high  and  low, 
but  there  was  no  sign  of  her,  and  his  despair  was  so  great 
that  he  was  ready,  a  thousand  times  over,  to  take  his  own 
life.  At  last  he  remembered  the  conversation  of  the  two 
princes  about  the  cabinets  of  the  years,  and  that  if  he  could 
manage  to  reach  the  oak  tree  he  would  be  certain  to  dis- 
cover what  had  become  of  Rosalie.  Happily  he  soon 
found  out  the  secret  of  the  passage  and  entered  the  cabinet 
of  the  present,  where  he  saw  reflected  in  the  mirrors  the 
unfortunate  Rosalie,  sitting  on  the  floor,  weeping  bitterly, 
and  surrounded  with  genii,  who  never  left  her  night  or  day. 
This  sight  only  increased  the  misery  of  the  prince,  for  he 
did  not  know  where  the  castle  was  nor  how  to  set  about 
finding  it.  However,  he  resolved  to  seek  the  whole  world 
through  till  he  came  to  the  right  place.  He  began  by 
setting  sail  in  a  favorable  wind,  but  his  bad  luck  followed 
him  even  on  the  sea.  He  had  scarcely  lost  sight  of  the 
land  when  a  violent  storm  arose,  and  after  several  hours  of 
beating  about  the  vessel  was  driven  on  to  some  rocks,  on 
which  it  dashed  itself  to  bits.  The  prince  was  fortunate 
enough  to  be  able  to  lay  hold  of  a  floating  spar  and  con- 
trived to  keep  himself  afloat;  and  after  a  long  struggle 
with  the  winds  and  waves  he  was  cast  upon  a  strange  island. 
But  what  was  his  surprise  on  reaching  the  shore  to  hear 
sounds  of  the  most  heart-rending  distress,  mingled  with  the 
sweetest  songs  that  had  ever  charmed  him.  His  curiosity 
was  instantly  roused,  and  he  advanced  cautiously  till  he  saw 
two  huge  dragons  guarding  the  gate  of  a  wood.  They 
•were  terrible  indeed  to  look  upon.  Their  bodies  were 
covered  with  glittering  scales;  their  curly  tails  extended 
far  over  the  land;  flames  darted  from  their  mouths  and 
noses,  and  their  eyes  would  have  made  the  bravest  shudder; 
but  as  the  prince  was  invisible  and  they  did  not  see  him,  he 
slipped  past  them  into  the  wood.  He  found  himself  at 
once  in  a  labyrinth,  and  wandered  about  for  a  long  time 
without  meeting  anyone;  in  fact  the  only  sight  he  saw  was 
a  circle  of  human  hands  sticking  out  of  the  ground  above  the 
wrist,  each  with  a  bracelet  of  gold,  on  which  a  name  was 
written.  The  further  he  advanced  in  the  labyrinth  the 
more  curious  he  became,  till  he  was  stopped  by  two  corpses 


THE    YELLOW    FAIEY    BOOK. 


93 


lying  in  the  midst  of  a  cypress  alley,  each  with  a  scarlet 
cord  round  its  neck  and  a  bracelet  on  its  arm,  on  which  were 
engraved  their  own  names  and  those  of  two  princesses. 

The  invisible  prince  recognized  these  dead  men  as  kings 
of  two  large  islands  near  his  own  home,  but  the  names  of 


the  princesses  were  unknown  to  him.  He  grieved  for  their 
unhappy  fate  and  at  once  proceeded  to  bury  them;  but  no 
sooner  had  he  laid  them  in  their  graves  than  their  hands 


94          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

started  up  through  the  earth  and  remained  sticking  up,  like 
those  of  their  fellows. 

The  prince  went  on  his  way,  thinking  about  this  strange 
adventure,  when  suddenly  at  the  turn  of  the  walk  he  per- 
ceived a  tall  man,  whose  face  was  the  picture  of  misery, 
holding  in  his  hands  a  silken  cord  of  the  exact  color 
of  those  round  the  necks  of  the  dead  men.  A  few  steps 
further  this  man  came  up  with  another  as  miserable  to  the 
full  as  he  himself.  They  silently  embraced,  and  then  with- 
out a  word  passed  the  cords  round  their  throats  and  fell 
dead  side  by  side.  In  vain  the  prince  rushed  to  their  assist- 
ance and  strove  to  undo  the  cord.  He  could  not  loosen  it: 
so  he  buried  them  like  the  others  and  continued  his  path. 

He  felt,  however,  that  great  prudence  was  necessary,  or 
he  himself  might  become  the  victim  of  some  enchantment; 
and  he  was  thankful  to  slip  past  the  dragons  and  enter  a 
beautiful  park,  with  clear  streams  and  sweet  flowers  and  a 
crowd  of  men  and  maidens.  But  he  could  not  forget  the 
terrible  things  he  had  seen  and  hoped  eagerly  for  a  clew  to 
the  mystery.  Noticing  two  young  people  talking  together 
he  drew  near,  thinking  that  he  might  get  some  explanation 
of  what  puzzled  him.  And  so  he  did. 

"  You  swear,"  said  the  prince,  "  that  you  will  love  me 
till  you  die,  but  I  fear  your  faithless  heart,  and  I  feel  that 
I  shall  soon  have  to  seek  the  Fairy  Despair,  ruler  of  half 
this  island.  She  carries  off  the  lovers  who  have  been  cast 
away  by  their  mistresses  and  wish  to  have  done  with  life. 
She  places  them  in  a  labyrinth  where  they  are  condemned 
to  walk  forever,  with  a  bracelet  on  their  arms  and  a  cord 
round  their  necks,  unless  they  meet  another  as  miserable  as 
themselves.  Then  the  cord  is  pulled  and  they  lie  where 
they  fall  till  they  are  buried  by  the  first  passer-by.  Terri- 
bfe  as  this  death  would  be,"  added  the  prince,  "  it  would  be 
sweeter  than  life  if  I  had  lost  your  love." 

The  sight  of  all  these  happy  lovers  only  made  the  prince 
grieve  the  more,  and  he  wandered  along  the  seashore  spend- 
ing his  days;  but  one  day  he  was  sitting  on  a  rock, 
bewailing  his  fate  and  the  impossibility  of  leaving  the 
island,  when  all  in  a  moment  the  sea  appeared  to  raise 
itself  nearly  to  the  skies  and  the  caves  echoed  with  hideous 
screams.  As  he  looked  a  woman  rose  from  the  depths  of 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  95 

the  sea,  flying  madly  before  a  furious  giant.  The  cries  she 
uttered  softened  the  heart  of  the  prince.  He  took  the  stone 
from  his  mouth  and  drawing  his  sword  he  rushed  after  the 
giant,  so  as  to  give  the  lady  time  to  escape.  But  hardly 
had  he  come  within  reach  of  the  enemy  than  the  giant 
touched  him  with  a  ring  that  he  held  in  his  hand,  and  the 
prince  remained  immovable  where  he  stood.  The  giant 
then  hastily  rejoined  his  prey,  and  seizing  her  in  his  arms 
he  plunged  with  her  into  the  sea.  Then  he  sent  some 
tritons  to  bind  chains  about  the  Prince  of  the  Golden  Isle, 
and  he  too  felt  himself  borne  to  the  depths  of  the  ocean 
and  without  the  hope  of  ever  again  seeing  the  princess. 

Now,  the  giant  whom  the  invisible  prince  had  so  rashly 
attacked  was  lord  of  the  sea  and  third  son  of  the  queen  of 
the  elements,  and  he  had  touched  the  youth  with  a  magic 
ring  which  enabled  a  mortal  to  live  under  water.  So  the 
Prince  of  the  Golden  Isle  found,  when  bound  in  chains  by 
the  tritons,  that  he  was  carried  through  the  homes  of 
strange  monsters  and  past  immense  seaweed  forests  till  he 
reached  a  vast  sandy  space  surrounded  by  huge  rocks.  On 
the  tallest  of  the  rocks  sat  the  giant  as  on  a  throne. 

"Hash  mortal,"  said  he  when  the  prince  was  dragged 
before  him,  "  you  have  deserved  death,  but  you  shall  live 
only  to  suffer  more  cruelly.  Go,  and  add  to  the  number  of 
those  whom  it  is  my  pleasure  to  torture." 

At  these  words  the  unhappy  prince  found  himself  tied  to 
a  rock;  but  he  was  not  alone  in  his  misfortunes,  for  all 
round  him  were  chained  princes  and  princesses  whom  the 
giant  had  led  captive.  Indeed,  it  was  his  chief  delight  to 
create  a  storm  in  order  to  add  to  the  list  of  his  prisoners. 

As  his  hands  were  fastened,  it  was  impossible  for  the 
Prince  of  the  Golden  Isle  to  make  use  of  his  magic  stone, 
and  he  passed  his  nights  and  days  dreaming  of  Rosalie. 
But  at  last  the  time  came  when  the  giant  took  it  into  his 
head  to  amuse  himself  by  arranging  fights  between  some 
of  his  captives.  Lots  were  drawn,  and  one  fell  upon  our 
prince,  whose  chains  were  immediately  loosened.  The 
moment  he  was  set  free  he  snatched  up  his  stone  and  be- 
came invisible. 

The  astonishment  of  the  giant  at  the  sudden  disappear- 
ance of  the  prince  may  well  be  imagined.  He  ordered  all 


Here  you  shall  remain  chained  until  you  die." 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          97 

the  passages  to  be  watched,  but  it  was  too  late,  for  the 
prince  had  already  glided  between  two  rocks.  He  wan- 
dered for  a  long  while  through  the  forests,  where  he  met 
nothing  but  fearful  monsters.  He  climbed  rock  after  rock, 
steered  his  way  from  tree  to  tree,  till  at  length  he  arrived 
at  the  edge  of  the  sea,  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  that  he  re- 
membered to  have  seen  in  the  cabinet  of  the  present  where 
Rosalie  was  held  captive. 

Filled  with  joy,  he  made  his  way  to  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tain, which  pierced  the  clouds,  and  there  found  a  palace. 
He  entered,  and  in  the  middle  of  a  long  gallery  he  discov- 
ered a  crystal  room,  in  the  midst  of  which  sat  Rosalie, 
guarded  night  and  day  by  genii.  There  was  no  door  any- 
where, nor  any  window.  At  this  sight  the  prince  became 
more  puzzled  than  ever,  for  he  did  not  know  how  he  was 
to  warn  Rosalie  of  his  return.  Yet  it  broke  his  heart  to 
see  her  weeping  from  dawn  till  dark. 

One  day  as  Rosalie  was  walking  up  and  down  her  room, 
she  was  surprised  to  see  that  the  crystal  which  served  for 
a  wall  had  grown  cloudy,  as  if  someone  had  breathed  on 
it,  and  what  was  more,  wherever  she  moved  the  bright- 
ness of  the  crystal  always  became  clouded.  This  was 
enough  to  cause  the  Princess  to  suspect  that  her  lover  had 
returned.  In  order  to  set  the  prince  of  the  air's  mind  at 
rest  she  began  by  being  very  gracious  to  him,  so  that  when 
she  begged  that  her  captivity  might  be  a  little  lightened 
she  should  not  be  refused.  At  first  the  only  favor  she 
asked  was  to  be  allowed  to  walk  for  one  hour  every  day 
up  and  down  the  long  gallery.  This  was  granted,  and 
the  invisible  prince  speedily  took  the  opportunity  of  hand- 
ing her  the  stone,  which  she  at  once  slipped  into  her 
mouth.  No  words  can  paint  the  fury  of  her  captor  at  her 
disappearance.  He  ordered  the  spirits  of  the  air  to  fly 
through  all  space  and  to  bring  back  Rosalie  wherever  she 
might  be.  They  instantly  flew  off  to  obey  his  commands 
and  spread  themselves  over  the  whole  earth. 

Meantime  Rosalie  and  the  invisible  prince  had  reached, 
hand  in  hand,  a  door  of  the  gallery  which  led  through  a 
terrace  into  the  gardens.  In  silence  they  glided  along  and 
thought  themselves  already  safe,  when  a  furious  monster 
dashed  itself  by  accident  against  Rosalie  and  the  invisible 


98          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

prince,  and  in  her  fright  she  let  go  his  hand.  "No  one  can 
speak  as  long  as  he  is  invisible,  and  besides,  they  knew 
that  the  spirits  were  all  around  them  and  at  the  slightest 
sound  they  would  be  recognized;  so  all  they  could  do  was 
to  feel  about  in  the  hope  that  their  hands  might  once  more 
meet. 

But,  alas !  the  joy  of  liberty  lasted  but  a  short  time. 
The  princess,  having  wandered  in  vain  up  and  down  the 
forests,  stopped  at  last  on  the  edge  of  a  fountain.  As  she 
walked  she  wrote  on  the  trees :  "  If  ever  the  prince,  my 
lover,  comes  this  way,  let  him  know  that  it  is  here  I  dwell, 
and  that  I  sit  daily  on  the  edge  of  this  fountain,  mingling 
my  tears  with  its  waters." 

These  words  were  read  by  one  of  the  genii,  who  re- 
peated them  to  his  master.  The  prince  of  the  air,  in  his 
turn  making  himself  invisible,  was  led  to  the  fountain  and 
waited  for  Rosalie.  When  she  drew  near  he  held  out  his 
hand,  which  she  grasped  eagerly,  taking  it  for  that  of  her 
lover;  and  seizing  his  opportunity  the  prince  passed  a  cord 
round  her  arms,  and  throwing  off  his  invisibility  cried  to  his 
spirits  to  drag  her  to  the  lowest  pit. 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  the  invisible  prince  appeared, 
and  at  the  sight  of  the  prince  of  the  genii  mounting  into 
the  air,  holding  a  silken  cord,  he  guessed  instantly  that  he 
was  carrying  off  Rosalie.  He  felt  so  overwhelmed  by  de- 
spair that  he  thought  for  an  instant  of  putting  an  end  to 
his  life. 

"  Can  I  survive  my  misfortunes  ?  "  he  cried.  "  I  fancied 
I  had  come  to  an  end  of  my  troubles,  and  now  they  are 
worse  than  ever.  What  will  become  of  me?  Never  can  I 
discover  the  place  where  this  monster  will  hide  Rosalie !  " 

The  unhappy  youth  had  determined  to  let  himself  die, 
and  indeed  his  sorrow  alone  was  enough  to  kill  him,  when 
the  thought  that  by  means  of  the  cabinets  of  the  years 
he  might  find  out  where  the  princess  was  imprisoned  gave 
him  a  little  ray  of  comfort.  So  he  continued  to  walk  on 
through  the  forest,  and  after  some  hours  he  arrived  at  the 
gate  of  a  temple  guarded  by  two  huge  lions.  Being  invis- 
ible, he  was  able  to  enter  unharmed.  In  the  middle  of 
the  temple  was  an  altar,  on  which  lay  a  book,  and  behind 
the  altar  hung  a  great  curtain.  The  prince  approached  the 


THE  YELLOW  FALRY  BOOK.          99 

altar  and  opened  the  book,  which  contained  the  names  of 
all  the  lovers  in  the  world;  and  in  it  he  read  that  Rosalie 
had  been  carried  off  by  the  prince  of  the  air  to  an  abyss 
which  had  no  entrance  except  the  one  that  lay  by  way  of 
the  Golden  Fountain. 

Now  as  the  prince  had  not  the  smallest  idea  where  this 
fountain  was  to  be  found,  it  might  be  thought  that  he  was 
not  much  nearer  Rosalie  than  before.  This  was  not,  how- 
ever, the  view  taken  by  the  prince. 

"  Though  every  step  that  I  take  may  perhaps  lead  me 
further  from  her,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  am  still  thank- 
ful to  know  that  she  is  alive  somewhere." 

On  leaving  the  temple  the  invisible  prince  saw  six  paths 
lying  before  him,  each  of  which  led  through  the  wood. 
He  was  hesitating  which  to  choose  when  he  suddenly  be- 
held two  people  coming  toward  him  down  the  track  which 
lay  most  to  the  right.  They  turned  out  to  be  the  Prince 
Gnome  and  his  friend,  and  the  sudden  desire  to  get 
some  news  of  his  sister,  Princess  Argentine,  caused  the 
invisible  prince  to  follow  them  and  to  listen  to  their  conver- 
sation. 

"Do  you  think,"  the  Prince  Gnome  was  saying,  "do 
you  think  that  I  would  not  break  my  chains  if  I  could? 
I  know  that  the  Princess  Argentine  will  never  love  me, 
yet  each  day  I  feel  her  dearer  still.  And  as  if  this  were 
not  enough,  I  have  the  horror  of  feeling  that  she  probably 
loves  another.  So  I  have  resolved  to  put  myself  out  of  my 
pain  by  means  of  the  Golden  Fountain.  A  single  drop  of 
its  water,  falling  on  the  sand  around,  will  trace  the  name  of 
my  rival  in  her  heart.  I  dread  the  test,  and  yet  this  very 
dread  convinces  me  of  my  misfortune." 

It  may  be  imagined  that  after  listening  to  these  words 
the  invisible  prince  followed  Prince  Gnome  like  his  shadow, 
and  after  walking  some  time  they  arrived  at  the  Golden 
Fountain.  The  unhappy  lover  stooped  down  with  a  sigh, 
and  dipping  his  finger  in  the  water  let  fall  a  drop  on  the 
sand.  It  instantly  wrote  the  name  of  Prince  Flame,  his 
brother.  The"  shock  of  this  discovery  was  so  real  that 
Prince  Gnome  sank  fainting  into  the  arms  of  his  friend. 

Meanwhile  the  invisible  prince  was  turning  over  in  his 
mind,  how  he  could  best  deliver  Rosalie.  As,  since  he  had 


100 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


been  touched  by  the  giant's  ring,  he  had  the  power  to  live 
in  the  water  as  well  as  on  land,  he  at  once  dived  into  the 
fountain.  He  perceived  in  one  corner  a  door  leading  into 


Prince  Gnome  Learns  the  Name  of  His  Rival  at  the 
Golden  Fountain. 

the  mountain,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  was  a  high 
rock  on  which  was  fixed  an  iron  ring  with  a  cord  attached. 
The  prince  promptly  guessed  that  the  cord  was  used  to  chain 
the  princess,  and  drew  his  sword  and  cut  it.  In  a  moment 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK.  ,   ;    101 


he  felt  the  princess'  hand  in  his,  for  she  had  always, 

her  magic  pebble  in  her  mouth,  in  spite  of'  the,  prayers^  afcfl' 

entreaties  of  the  prince  of  the  air  to  make  herself  visible. 

So,  hand  in  hand,  the  invisible  prince  and  Rosalie  crossed 
the  mountain;  but  as  the  princess  had  no  power  of  living 
under  water,  she  could  not  pass  the  Golden  Fountain. 
Speechless  and  invisible  they  clung  together  on  the  brink, 
trembling  at  the  frightful  tempest  the  prince  of  the  air  had 
raised  in  his  fury.  The  storm  had  already  lasted  many  days, 
when  tremendous  heat  began  to  make  itself  felt.  The  light- 
ning flashed,  the  thunder  rattled,  fire-bolts  fell  from  heaven, 
burning  up  the  forests  and  even  the  fields  of  corn.  In  one 
instant  the  very  streams  were  dried  up,  and  the  prince, 
seizing  his  opportunity,  carried  the  princess  over  the 
Golden  Fountain. 

It  took  them  a  longer  time  still  to  reach  the  Golden  Isle, 
but  at  last  they  got  there,  and  we  may  be  quite  sure  they 
never  wanted  to  leave  it  any  more. 


THE  CROW* 

Once  upon  a  time  there  were  three  princesses  who  were 
all  three  young  and  beautiful;  but  the  youngest,  although 
she  was  not  fairer  than  the  other  two,  was  the  most  lovable 
of  them  all. 

About  half  a  mile  from  the  castle  in  which  they  lived 
there  stood  a  castle,  which  was  uninhabited  and  almost  a 
ruin,  but  the  garden  which  surrounded  it  was  a  mass  of 
blooming  flowers^  and  in  this  garden  the  youngest  prin- 
cess used  often  to  walk. 

One  day,  when  she  was  pacing  to  and  fro  under  the  lime- 
trees,  a  black  crow  hopped  out  of  a  rose-bush  in  front  of 
her.  The  poor  beast  was  all  torn  and  bleeding,  and  the 
kind  little  princess  was  quite  unhappy  about  it.  When  the 
crow  saw  this  it  turned  to  her  and  said: 

"  I  am  not  really  a  black  crow,  but  an  enchanted  prince 

who  has  been  doomed  to  spend  his  youth  in  misery.     If 

you    only   liked,    princess,   you    could   save   me.      But    you 

would   have  to   say   good-by   to   all   your   own   people   and 

*  From  the  Polish.     Kletke. 


102      THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

corce  to  be  my.  constant  companion  in  this  ruined  castle, 
There  is .,  ^ne;  Jiabitable  room  in  it,  in  which  there  is  a 
golden  bed.  There  you  will  have  to  live  all  by  yourself, 
and  don't  forget  that  whatever  you  may  ijee  or  hear  in  the 
night  you  must  not  scream  out,  for  if  you  give  as  much  as 
a  single  cry  my  sufferings  will  be  doubled." 

The  good-natured  princess  at  once  left  her  home  and  her 
family,  hurried  to  the  ruined  castle,  and  took  possession  of 
the  room  with  the  golden  bed. 

When  night  approached  she  lay  down,  but  though  she 
shut  her  eyes  tight  sleep  would  not  come.  At  midnight 
she  heard  to  her  great  horror  someone  coming  along  the 
passage,  and  in  a  minute  her  door  was  flung  wide  open, 
and  a  troop  of  strange  beings  entered  the  room.  They 
at  once  proceeded  to  light  a  fire  in  the  huge  fireplace; 


The  Evil  Spirits  Drag  the  Girl  to  the  Caldron. 

then  they  placed  a  great  caldron  of  boiling  water  on  it. 
When  they  had  done  this  they  approached  the  bed  on 
which  the  trembling  girl  lay  and,  screaming  and  yelling 
all  the  time,  dragged  her  toward  the  caldron.  She 
nearly  died  with  fright,  but  she  never  uttered  a  sound. 
Then  of  a  sudden  a  cock  crew  and  all  the  evil  spirits 
vanished. 

At  the  same  moment  the  crow  appeared  and  hopped  all 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK.  103 

i-ound  the  room  with  joy.  It  thanked  the  princess  most 
heartily  for  her  goodness,  and  said  that  its  sufferings  had 
already  been  greatly  lessened. 

Now,  one  of  the  princess'  elder  sisters,  who  was  very 
inquisitive,  had  found  out  about  everything  and  went  to 
pay  her  younger  sister  a  visit  in  the  ruined  castle.  She 
implored  her  so  urgently  to  let  her  spend  the  night  with 
her  in  the  golden  bed  that  at  last  the  good-natured  little 
princess  consented.  But  at  midnight,  when  the  odd  folk 
appeared,  the  elder  sister  screamed  with  terror,  and  from 
this  time  on  the  youngest  princess  insisted  always  on  keep- 
ing watch  alone. 

So  she  lived  in  solitude  all  the  day-time,  and  at  night 
nhe  would  have  been  frightened  had  she  not  been  so  brave; 
but  every  day  the  crow  came  and  thanked  her  for  her  en- 
durance and  assured  her  that  his  sufferings  were  far  less 
than  they  had  been. 

And  so  two  years  passed  away,  when  one  day  the  crow 
came  to  the  princess  and  said: 

"  In  another  year  I  shall  be  free  from  the  spell  I  am 
under  at  present,  because  then  the  seven  years  will  be 
over.  But  before  I  can  resume  my  natural  form  and  take 
possession  of  the  belongings  of  my  forefathers,  you  must 
go  out  into  the  world  and  take  service  as  a  maid-servant." 

The  young  princess  consented  at  once,  and  for  a  whole 
year  she  served  as  a  maid;  but  in  spite  of  her  youth  and 
beauty  she  was  very  badly  treated  and  suffered  many 
things.  One  evening,  when  she  was  spinning  flax  and  had 
worked  her  little  white  hands  weary,  she  heard  a  rustling 
beside  her  and  a  cry  of  joy.  Then  she  saw  a  handsome 
youth  standing  beside  her,  who  knelt  down  at  her  feet  and 
kissed  the  little  weary  white  hands. 

"  I  am  the  prince,"  he  said,  "  whom  you  in  your  good- 
ness, when  I  was  wandering  about  in  the  shape  of  a  black 
crow,  freed  from  the  most  awful  torments.  Come  now 
to  my  castle  with  me  and  let  us  live  there  happily  together." 

So  they  went  to  the  castle  where  they  had  both  endured 
so  much.  But  when  they  reached  it  it  was  difficult  to 
believe  that  it  was  the  same,  for  it  had  all  been  rebuilt  and 
done  up  again.  And  there  they  lived  for  a  hundred  years 
—a  hundred  years  of  joy  and  happiness. 


104  THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK. 


HOW  SIX  MEJST  TKAVELED  THKOUGH  THE  WIDE 
WORLD. 

There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  man  who  understood  all 
:sorts  of  arts.  He  served  in  the  war  and  bore  himself 
bravely  and  well;  but  when  the  war  was  over  he  got  his 
discharge  and  set  out  on  his  travels  with  three  farthings  of 
his  pay  in  his  pocket.  "  Wait,"  he  said ;  "  that  does  not 
please  me;  only  let  me  find  the  right  people,  and  the  king 
shall  yet  give  me  all  the  treasures  of  his  kingdom."  He 
strode  angrily  into  the  forest,  and  there  he  saw  a  man 
standing  who  had  uprooted  six  trees  as  if  they  were  straws. 
He  said  to  him :  "  Will  you  be  my  servant  and  travel  with 
me?" 

"  Yes,"  he  answered ;  "  but  first  of  all  I  will  take  this 
little  bundle  of  sticks  home  to  my  mother,"  and  he  took 
one  of  the  trees  and  wound  it  round  the  other  five,  raised 
the  bundle  on  his  shoulders,  and  bore  it  off.  Then  he 
came  back  and  went  with  his  master,  who  said:  "We  two 
ought  to  be  able  to  travel  through  the  wide  world ! "  And 
when  they  had  gone  a  little  way  they  came  upon  a  hunter, 
who  was  on  his  knees,  his  gun  to  his  shoulder,  aiming  at 
something.  The  master  said  to  him :  "  Hunter,  what  are  you 
aiming  at  ? " 

He  answered :  "  Two  miles  from  this  place  sits  a  fly  on  a 
branch  of  an  oak.  I  want  to  shoot  out  its  left  eye." 

"  Oh,  go  with  me,"  said  the  man.  "  If  we  three  are  to- 
gether we  shall  easily  travel  through  the  wide  world." 

The  hunter  agreed  and  went  with  him,  and  they  came  to 
seven  windmills  whose  sails  were  going  round  quite  fast, 
and  yet  there  was  not  a  breath  of  wind  nor  was  a  leaf 
moving.  The  man  said :  "  I  don't  know  what  is  turning 
those  windmills;  there  is  not  the  slightest  breeze  blowing." 
So  he  walked  on  with  his  servants,  and  when  they  had  gone 
two  miles  they  saw  a  man  sitting  on  a  tree  holding  one 
of  his  nostrils  and  blowing  out  of  the  other. 

"Fellow,  what  are  you  puffing  at  up  there?"  asked  the 
man. 

He  replied :  "  Two  miles  from  this  place  are  standing 
seven  windmills.  See,  I  am  blowing  to  drive  them  round." 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.         105 

"  Oh,  go  with  me ! "  said  the  man.  "  If  we  four  are  to- 
gether we  shall  easily  travel  through  the  wide  world." 

So  the  blower  got  down  and  went  with  him,  and  after  a 
time  they  saw  a  man  who  was  standing  on  one  leg  and  had 
unstrapped  the  other  and  laid  it  near  him.  Then  said  the 
master :  "  You  have  made  yourself  very  comfortable  to 
rest !  " 

"  I  am  a  runner,"  answered  he,  "  and  so  that  I  shall  not 
go  too  quickly  I  have  unstrapped  one  leg.  When  I  run 
with  two  legs  I  go  faster  than  a  bird  flies." 

"  Oh,  go  with  me !  If  we  five  are  together  we  shall 
easily  travel  through  the  wide  world."  So  he  went  with 
him,  and  not  long  afterward  they  met  a  man  who  wore  a 
little  hat,  but  he  had  it  slouched  over  one  ear. 

"  Manners,  manners !  "  said  the  master  to  him.  "  Don't 
hang  your  hat  over  one  ear.  You  look  like  a  madman ! " 

"  I  dare  not,"  said  the  other,  "  for  if  I  were  to  put  my 
hat  on  straight  there  would  come  such  a  frost  that  the  very 
birds  in  the  sky  would  freeze  and  fall  dead  on  the  earth." 

"  Oh,  go  with  me ! "  said  the  master.  "  If  we  six  are 
together  we  shall  easily  travel  through  the  wide  world." 

Now,  the  six  came  to  a  town  in  which  the  king  had  pro- 
claimed that  whoever  should  run  with  his  daughter  in  a 
race  and  win,  should  become  her  husband;  but  if  he  lost 
he  must  lose  his  head.  This  was  reported  to  the  man,  who 
declared  he  would  compete.  "  But,"  he  said,  "  I  shall  let 
my  servant  run  for  me." 

The  king  replied :  "  Then  both  your  heads  must  be 
staked,  and  your  heads  must  be  guaranteed  for  the  winner." 

When  this  was  agreed  upon  and  settled  the  man  strapped 
on  the  runner's  other  leg,  saying  to  him :  "  Now  be  nimble 
and  see  that  we  win ! "  It  was  arranged  that  whoever 
should  first  bring  water  out  of  a  stream  a  long  way  off 
should  be  the  victor.  Then  the  runner  got  a  pitcher  and 
the  king's  daughter  another,  and  they  began  to  run  at  the 
same  time;  but  in  a  moment,  when  the  king's  daughter 
was  only  just  a  little  way  off,  no  spectator  could  see  the 
runner,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  wind  had  whistled  past.  In 
a  short  time  he  reached  the  stream,  filled  his  pitcher  with 
water,  and  turned  round  again.  But  halfway  home  a  great 
drowsiness  came  over  him;  he  put  down  his  pitcher,  lay 


106         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

down,  and  fell  asleep.  He  had,  however,  put  a  horse's  skull 
which  was  lying  on  the  ground  for  his  pillow,  so  that  he 
should  not  be  too  comfortable  and  might  soon  wake  up. 

In  the  meantime  the  king's  daughter,  who  could  also  run 
well,  as  well  as  an  ordinary  man  could,  reached  the  stream 
and  hastened  back  with  her  pitcher  full  of  water.  When 
she  saw  the  runner  lying  there  asleep  she  was  delighted  and 


said :  "  My  enemy  is  given  into  my  hands !  "  She  emptied 
his  pitcher  and  ran  on. 

Everything  now  would  have  been  lost  if  by  good  luck  the 
hunter  had  not  been  standing  on  the  castle  tower  and  had 
seen  everything  with  his  sharp  eyes. 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  "  the  king's  daughter  shall  not  over- 
reach us."  And  loading  his  gun  he  shot  so  cleverly  that 
he  shot  away  the  horse's  skull  from  under  the  runner's 
head  without  its  hurting  him.  Then  the  runner  awoke, 
jumped  up,  and  saw  that  his  pitcher  was  empty  and  the 
king's  daughter  far  ahead.  But  he  did  not  lose  courage, 
and  ran  back  to  the  stream  with  his  pitcher,  filled  it  once 
more  with  water,  and  was  home  ten  minutes  before  the 
king's  daughter  arrived. 


THE   YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK.  10? 

"  Look,"  said  he,  "  I  have  only  just  exercised  my  legs. 
That  was  nothing  of  a  run." 

But  the  king  was  angry,  and  his  daughter  even  more  so, 
that  she  should  be  carried  away  by  a  common  discharged 
soldier.  They  consulted  together  how  they  could  destroy 
both  him  and  his  companions. 

"  Then,"  said  the  king  to  her,  "  I  have  found  a  way. 
Don't  be  frightened.  They  shall  not  come  home  again." 
He  said  to  them :  "  You  must  now  make  merry  together 
and  eat  and  drink,"  and  he  led  them  into  a  room  which  had 
a  floor  of  iron;  the  doors  were  also  of  iron  and  the  windows 
were  barred  with  iron.  In  the  room  was  a  table  spread 
with  delicious  food.  The  king  said  to  them,  "  Go  in  and 
enjoy  yourselves,"  and  as  soon  as  they  were  inside  he  had 
the  doors  shut  and  bolted.  Then  he  made  the  cook  come 
and  ordered  him  to  keep  up  a  large  fire  under  the  room  un- 
til the  iron  was  red-hot.  The  cook  did  so,  and  the  six 
sitting  round  the  table  felt  it  grow  very  warm,  and  they 
thought  this  was  because  of  their  good  fare;  but  when  the 
heat  became  still  greater  and  they  wanted  to  go  out,  but 
found  the  doors  and  windows  fastened,  then  they  knew 
that  the  king  meant  them  harm  and  was  trying  to  suffocate 
them. 

"  But  he  shall  not  succeed,"  cried  he  of  the  little  hat. 
"  I  will  make  a  frost  come  which  shall  make  the  fire 
ashamed  and  die  out ! "  So  he  put  his  hat  on  straight,  and 
at  once  there  came  such  a  frost  that  all  the  heat  disappeared 
and  the  food  on  the  dishes  began  to  freeze.  When  a  couple 
of  hours  had  passed  and  the  king  thought  they  must  be 
quite  dead  from  the  heat,  he  had  the  doors  opened  and  went 
in  himself  to  see. 

But  when  the  doors  were  opened  there  stood  all  six,  alive 
and  well,  saying  they  were  glad  they  could  come  out  to 
warm  themselves,  for  the  great  cold  in  the  room  had  frozen 
all  the  food  hard  in  the  dishes.  Then  the  king  went  angrily 
to  the  cook  and  scolded  him,  and  asked  him  why  he  had 
not  done  what  he  was  told. 

But  the  cook  answered :  "  There  is  heat  enough  there ; 
see  for  yourself."  Then  the  king  saw  a  huge  fire  burning 
under  the  iron  room  and  understood  that  he  could  do  no 
harm  to  the  six  in  this  way.  The  king  now  began  to  think 


108  THE   YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK. 

Low  he  could  free  himself  from  his  unwelcome  guests.  He 
commanded  the  master  to  come  before  him  and  said :  "  If 
you  will  take  gold  and  give  up  your  right  to  my  daughter, 
you  shall  have  as  much  as  you  like." 

"  Oh,  yes,  your  majesty ! "  answered  he.  "  Give  me  as 
much  as  my  servant  can  carry  and  I  will  give  up  your 
daughter." 

The  king  was  delighted  and  the  man  said :  "  I  will  come 
and  fetch  it  in  fourteen  days." 

Then  he  called  all  the  tailors  in  the  kingdom  together  and 
made  them  sit  down  for  fourteen  days  sewing  at  a  sack. 
When  it  was  finished  he  made  the  strong  man  who  had 
uprooted  the  trees  take  the  sack  on  his  shoulder  and  go 
with  him  to  the  king.  Then  the  king  said:  "What  a 
powerful  fellow  that  is,  carrying  that  bale  of  linen  as  large 
as  a  house  on  his  shoulder ! "  And  he  was  much  frightened 
and  thought,  "  What  a  lot  of  gold  he  will  make  away 
with !  "  Then  he  had  a  ton  of  gold  brought,  which  sixteen 
of  the  strongest  men  had  to  carry;  but  the  strong  man 
seized  it  with  one  hand  and  put  it  in  the  sack,  saying: 
"  Why  don't  you  bring  me  more  ?  That  scarcely  covers  the 
bottom ! "  Then  the  king  had  to  send  again  and  again  to 
fetch  his  treasures,  which  the  strong  man  shoved  into  the 
sack,  and  the  sack  was  only  half -full. 

"Bring  more!"  he  cried.  "These  crumbs  don't  fill  it." 
So  seven  thousand  wagons  of  the  gold  of  the  whole  king- 
dom were  driven  up.  These  the  strong  men  shoved  into 
the  sack,  oxen  and  all. 

"  I  will  no  longer  be  particular,"  he  said,  "  and  will  take 
what  comes,  so  that  the  sack  shall  be  full." 

When  everything  was  put  in  and  there  was  not  yet 
enough  he  said:  "I  will  make  an  end  of  this.  It  is  easy 
to  fasten  a  sack  when  it  is  not  full."  Then  he  threw  it  on 
Ms  back  and  went  with  his  companions. 

Now,  when  the  king  saw  how  a  single  man  was  carrying 
away  the  wealth  of  the  whole  country  he  was  very  angry, 
and  made  his  cavalry  mount  and  pursue  the  six  and  bring 
back  the  strong  man  with  the  sack.  Two  regiments  soon 
overtook  them  and  called  to  them:  "You  are  prisoners! 
Lay  down  the  sack  of  gold  or  you  shall  be  cut  down." 

"What  do  you  say?"  said  the   blower.     "We  are  pris- 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  10& 


oners  ?  Before  that  you  shall  dance  in  the  air ! "  And  he 
held  one  nostril  and  blew  with  the  other  at  the  two  regi- 
ments. They  were  separated  and  blown  away  in  the  blue 
sky  over  the  mountains,  one  this  way  and  the  other  that. 
A  sergeant-major  cried  for  mercy,  saying  he  had  nine 
wounds  and  was  a  brave  fellow,  and  did  not  deserve  this 
disgrace.  So  the  blower  let  him  off  and  he  came  down 
without  hurt.  Then  he  said  to  him:  "Now  go  home  to 
the  king  and  say  that  if  he  sends  any  more  cavalry  I  will 
blow  them  all  into  the  air." 

When  the  king  received  the  message  he  said:  "Let  the 
fellows  go;  they  are  bewitched."  Then  the  six  brought 
the  treasure  home,  shared  it  among  themselves,  and  lived  con- 
tentedly till  the  end  of  their  days. 


THE  WIZAKD  KING:* 

In  very  ancient  times  there  lived  a  king  whose  power  lay 
not  only  in  the  vast  extent  of  his  dominions,  but  also  in 
the  magic  secrets  of  which  he  was  master.  After  spending 
the  greater  part  of  his  early  youth  in  pleasure,  he  met  a 
princess  of  such  remarkable  beauty  that  he  at  once  asked 
her  hand  in  marriage,  and  having  obtained  it  considered 
himself  the  happiest  of  men. 

After  a  year's  time  a  son  was  born,  worthy  in  every  way 
of  such  distinguished  parents  and  much  admired  by  the 
whole  court.  As  soon  as  the  queen  thought  him  strong 
enough  for  a  journey  she  set  out  with  him  secretly  to  visit 
her  fairy  godmother.  I  said  secretly,  because  the  fairy  had 
warned  the  queen  that  the  king  was  a  magician;  and  as 
from  time  immemorial  there  had  been  a  standing  feud 
between  the  fairies  and  the  wizards,  he  might  not  have  ap- 
proved of  his  wife's  visit. 

The  fairy  godmother,  who  took  the  deepest  interest  in  all 
the  queen's  concerns  and  who  was  much  pleased  with  the 
little  prince,  endowed  him  with  the  power  of  pleasing 
everybody  from  his  cradle,  as  well  as  with  a  wonderful  ease 
in  learning  everything  which  could  help  to  make  him  a  per- 

*  From  "  Les  Fdes  illustre." 


110  THE    YELLOW   FAIRY    BOOK. 

fectly  accomplished  prince.  Accordingly,  to  the  delight 
of  his  teachers,  he  made  the  most  rapid  progress  in  his 
education,  constantly  surpassing  everyone's  expectations. 
Before  he  was  many  years  old,  however,  he  had  the  great 
sorrow  of  losing  his  mother,  whose  last  words  were  to  ad- 
vise him  never  to  undertake  anything  of  importance  with- 
out consulting  the  fairy  under  whose  protection  she  had 
placed  him. 

The  prince's  grief  at  the  death  of  his  mother  was  great, 
but  it  was  nothing  compared  to  that  of  the  king  his  father, 
who  was  quite  inconsolable  for  the  loss  of  his  dear  wife. 
Neither  time  nor  reason  seemed  to  lighten  his  sorrow,  and 
the  sight  of  all  the  familiar  faces  and  things  about  him  only 
served  to  remind  him  of  his  loss.  lie  therefore  resolved  to 
travel  for  change,  and  by  means  of  his  magic  art  was  able 
to  visit  every  country  he  came  to  see  under  different  shapes, 
returning  every  few  weeks  to  the  place  where  he  had  left  a 
few  followers. 

Having  traveled  from  land  to  land  in  this  fashion  with- 
out finding  anything  to  rivet  his  attention,  it  occurred  to 
him  to  take  the  form  of  an  eagle,  and  in  this  shape  he  flew 
across  many  countries  and  arrived  at  length  in  a  new  and 
lovely  -spot,  where  the  air  seemed  filled  with  the  scent  of 
jessamine  and  orange-flowers  with  which  the  ground  was 
thickly  planted.  Attracted  by  the  perfume  he  flew  lower, 
and  perceived  some  large  and  beautiful  gardens  filled  with 
the  rarest  of  flowers  and  with  fountains  throwing  up  their 
clear  waters  into  the  air  in  a  hundred  different  shapes.  A 
wide  stream  flowed  through  the  garden,  and  on  it  floated 
richly  ornamented  barges  and  gondolas  filled  with  people 
dressed  in  the  most  elegant  manner  and  covered  with  jewels. 

In  one  of  these  barges  sat  the  queen  of  that  country  with 
her  only  daughter,  a  maiden  more  beautiful  than  the  day- 
star,  and  attended  by  the  ladies  of  the  court.  No  more  ex- 
quisitely lovely  mortal  was  ever  seen  than  this  princess,  and 
it  needed  all  an  eagle's  strength  of  sight  to  prevent  the  king 
being  hopelessly  dazzled.  He  perched  on  the  top  of  a  large 
orange  tree,  whence  he  was  able  to  survey  the  scene  and  to 
gaze  at  pleasure  on  the  princess'  charms. 

Now,  an  eagle  with  a  king's  heart  in  his  breast  is  apt  to 
be  bold,  and  accordingly  he  instantly  made  up  his  mind  to 


THE    YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK. 


Ill 


carry  off  the  lovely  damsel,  feeling  sure  that  having  once 
seen  her  he  could  not  live  without  her. 

He  waited  till  he  saw  her  in  the  act  of  stepping  ashore, 
when,  suddenly  swooping  down,  he  carried  her  off  before  her 
equerry  in  attendance  had  advanced  to  offer  her  his  hand. 
The  princess,  on  finding  herself  in  an  eagle's  talons,  uttered 
the  most  heart-breaking  shrieks  and  cries;  but  her  captor, 
though  touched  by  her  distress,  would  not  abandon  his  lovely 
prey,  and  continued  to  fly  through  the  air  too  fast  to  allow 
of  his  saying  anything  to  comfort  her. 

At  length,  when  he  thought  they  had  reached  a  safe  dis- 


The  Princess  and  the  Eagle  in  the  Flowery  Meadow. 


tance,  he  began  to  lower  his  flight,  and  gradually  descend- 
ing to  earth,  deposited  his  burden  in  a  flowery  meadow. 
He  then  entreated  her  pardon  for  his  violence,  and  told  her 
that  he  was  about  to  carry  her  to  a  great  kingdom  over 
which  he  ruled,  and  where  he  desired  she  should  rule  with 
him,  adding  many  tender  and  consoling  expressions. 

For  some  time  the  princess  remained  speechless,  but  re- 
covering herself  a  little  she  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears.  The 
king,  much  moved,  said :  "  Adorable  princess,  dry  your  tears, 


112  THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK. 

I  implore  you.  My  only  wish  is  to  make  you  the  happiest: 
person  in  the  world." 

"  If  you  speak  truth,  my  lord,"  replied  the  princess,  "  re- 
store to  me  the  liberty  you  have  deprived  me  of.  Other- 
wise I  can  only  look  on  you  as  my  worst  enemy." 

The  king  retorted  that  her  opposition  filled  him  with  de- 
spair, but  that  he  hoped  to  carry  her  to  a  place  where  all 
around  would  respect  her  and  where  every  pleasure  would 
surround  her.  So  saying  he  seized  her  once  more,  and  in 
spite  of  all  her  cries  he  rapidly  bore  her  off  to  the  neighbor- 
hood of  his  capital.  Here  he  gently  placed  her  on  a  lawn, 
and  as  he  did  so  she  saw  a  magnificent  palace  spring  up  at 
her  feet.  The  architecture  was  imposing,  and  in  the  in- 
terior the  rooms  were  furnished  in  the  best  possible  taste. 

The  princess,  who  expected  to  be  quite  alone,  was  pleased 
at  finding  herself  surrounded  by  a  number  of  pretty  girls, 
all  anxious  to  wait  on  her,  while  a  brilliantly  colored  parrot 
said  the  most  agreeable  things  in  the  world. 

On  arriving  at  this  palace  the  king  had  resumed  his  own 
form,  and  though  no  longer  young,  he  might  well  have 
pleased  any  other  than  this  princess,  who  had  been  so 
prejudiced  against  him  by  his  violence  that  she  could  only 
regard  him  with  feelings  of  hatred,  which  she  was  at  no 
pains  to  conceal.  The  king  hoped,  however,  that  time  might 
not  only  soften  her  anger,  but  accustom  her  to  his  sight. 
He  took  the  precaution  of  surrounding  the  palace  with  a 
dense  cloud,  and  then  hastened  to  his  court,  where  his  pro- 
longed absence  was  causing  much  anxiety. 

The  prince  and  all  his  courtiers  were  delighted  to  see  their 
beloved  king  again,  but  they  had  to  submit  themselves  to 
more  frequent  absences  than  ever  on  his  part.  He  made 
business  a  pretext  for  shutting  himself  up  in  his  study,  but 
it  was  really  in  order  to  spend  the  time  with  the  princess, 
who  remained  inflexible. 

Not  being  able  to  imagine  what  could  be  the  cause  of  so 
much  obstinacy,  the  king  began  to  fear  lest,  in  spite  of  all 
his  precautions,  she  might  have  heard  of  the  charms  of  the 
prince  his  son,  whose  goodness,  youth,  and  beauty  made  him 
adored  at  court.  This  idea  made  him  horribly  uneasy,  and 
he  resolved  to  remove  the  cause  of  his  feaxs  by  sending  the 
prince  on  his  travels,  escorted  by  a  magnificent  retinue. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         113 

The  prince,  after  visiting  several  courts,  arrived  at  the 
one  where  the  lost  princess  was  still  deeply  mourned.  The 
king  and  queen  received  him  most  graciously,  and  some  fes- 
tivities were  revived  to  do  him  honor. 

One  day,  when  the  prince  was  visiting  the  queen  in  her 
own  apartments,  he  was  much  struck  by  a  most  beautiful 
portrait.  He  eagerly  inquired  whose  it  was,  and  the  queen, 
with  many  tears,  told  him  it  was  all  that  was  left  her  of  her 
beloved  daughter,  who  had  suddenly  been  carried  off,  she 
knew  neither  where  nor  how. 

The  prince  was  deeply  moved  and  vowed  that  he  would 
search  the  world  for  the  princess  and  take  no  rest  till  he 
had  found  and  restored  her  to  her  mother's  arms.  The 
queen  assured  him  of  her  eternal  gratitude,  and  promised, 
should  he  succeed,  to  give  him  her  daughter  in  marriage, 
together  with  all  the  estates  she  herself  owned. 

The  prince,  far  more  attracted  by  the  thoughts  of  pos- 
sessing the  princess  than  her  promised  dower,  set  forth  ia 
his  quest  after  taking  leave  of  the  king  and  queen,  the  lat- 
ter giving  him  a  miniature  of  her  daughter  which  she  was 
in  the  habit  of  wearing.  His  first  act  was  to  seek  the  fairy 
under  whose  protection  he  had  been  placed,  and  he  implored 
her  to  give  him  all  the  assistance  of  her  art  and  counsel  in 
this  important  matter. 

After  listening  attentively  to  the  whole  adventure,  the 
fairy  asked  for  time  to  consult  her  books.  After  due  con- 
sideration she  informed  the  prince  that  the  object  of  his 
search  was  not  far  distant,  but  that  it  was  too  difficult  for 
him  to  attempt  to  enter  the  enchanted  palace  where  she 
was,  as  the  king  his  father  had  surrounded  it  with  a  thick 
cloud,  and  that  the  only  expedient  she  could  think  of 
would  be  to  gain  possession  of  the  princess'  parrot.  This, 
she  added,  would  not  appear  impossible,  as  it  often  flew 
about  to  some  distance  in  the  neighborhood. 

Having  told  the  prince  all  this,  the  fairy  went  out  in 
hopes  of  seeing  the  parrot,  and  soon  returned  with  the 
bird  in  her  hand.  She  promptly  shut  it  up  in  a  cage,  and 
touching  the  prince  with  her  wand  transformed  him  into 
an  exactly  similar  parrot;  after  which  she  instructed  him 
how  to  reach  the  princess. 

The   prince    reached    the    place    in    safety,    but   was    so 


114         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

dazzled  at  first  by  the  princess'  beauty,  which  far  surpassed 
his  expectations,  that  he  was  quite  dumb  for  a  time.  The 
princess  was  surprised  and  anxious,  and  fearing  the  parrot, 
who  was  her  greatest  comfort,  had  fallen  ill,  she  took  him 
in  her  hand  and  caressed  him.  This  soon  reassured  the 
prince  and  encouraged  him  to  play  his  part  well,  and  he 
began  to  say  a  thousand  agreeable  things  which  charmed 
the  princess. 

Presently  the  king  appeared,  and  the  parrot  noticed 
with  joy  how  much  he  was  disliked.  As  soon  as  the  king 
left  the  princess  retired  to  her  dressing  room.  The  parrot 
flew  after  her  and  overheard  her  lamentations  at  the  con- 
tinued persecutions  of  the  king,  who  had  pressed  her  to 
consent  to  their  marriage.  The  parrot  said  so  many  clever 
and  tender  things  to  comfort  her  that  she  began  to  doubt 
whether  this  could  indeed  be  her  own  parrot. 

When  he  saw  her  well  disposed  toward  him  he  ex- 
claimed :  "  Madam,  I  have  a  most  important  secret  to 
confide  to  you,  and  I  beg  you  not  to  be  alarmed  by  what 
I  am  about  to  say.  I  am  here  on  behalf  of  the  queen  your 
mother,  with  the  object  of  delivering  your  highness;  to 
prove  which,  behold  this  portrait  which  she  gave  me  her- 
self." So  saying,  he  drew  forth  the  miniature  from  under 
his  wing.  The  princess'  surprise  was  great,  but  after  what 
she  had  seen  and  heard  it  was  impossible  not  to  indulge 
in  hope,  for  she  had  recognized  the  likeness  of  herself 
which  her  mother  always  wore. 

The  parrot,  finding  she  was  not  much  alarmed,  told  her 
who  he  was,  all  that  her  mother  had  promised  him,  and 
the  help  he  had  already  received  from  a  fairy  who  had 
assured  him  that  she  would  give  him  means  to  transport 
the  princess  to  her  mother's  arms. 

When  he  found  her  listening  attentively  to  him,  he 
implored  the  princess  to  allow  him  to  resume  his  natural 
shape.  She  did  not  speak,  so  he  drew  a  feather  from  his 
wing,  and  she  beheld  before  her  a  prince  of  such  surpass- 
ing beauty  that  it  was  impossible  not  to  hope  that  she 
might  owe  her  liberty  to  so  charming  a  person. 

Meantime  the  fairy  had,  prepared  a  chariot,  to  which  she 
harnessed  two  powerful  eagles;  then  placing  the  cage  with 
the  parrot  in  it,  she  charged  the  bird  to  conduct  it  to  the 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


115 


window  of  the  princess'  dressing  room.  This  was  done 
in  a  few  minutes,  and  the  princess,  stepping  into  the 
chariot  with  the  prince,  was  delighted  to  find  her  parrot 
again. 

As  they  rose  through   the   air  the  princess   remarked  a 


The  Wizard  King  Pays  a  Visit  to  the  Princess. 

figure  mounted  on  an  eagle's  back  flying  in  front  of  the 
chariot.  She  was  rather  alarmed,  but  the  prince  reassured 
her,  telling  her  it  was  the  good  fairy  to  whom  she  owed  so 
much  and  who  was  now  conducting  her  in  safety  to  her 
mother. 


116         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

That  same  morning  the  king  woke  suddenly  from  a 
troubled  sleep.  He  had  dreamed  that  the  princess  was 
being  carried  off  from  him,  and  transforming  himself  into 
an  eagle  he  flew  to  the  palace.  When  he  failed  to  find 
her  he  flew  into  a  terrible  rage  and  hastened  home  to  con- 
sult his  books,  by  which  means  he  discovered  that  it  was 
his  son  who  had  deprived  him  of  his  precious  treasure. 
Immediately,  he  took  the  shape  of  a  harpy,  and,,  filled  with 
rage,  was  determined  to  devour  his  son,  and  even  the 
princess  too,  if  only  he  could  overtake  them. 

He  set  out  at  full  speed,  but  he  started  too  late,  and  was 
further  delayed  by  a  strong  wind  which  the  fairy  raised 
behind  the  young  couple  so  as  to  baffle  any  pursuit. 

You  may  imagine  the  rapture  with  which  the  queen 
received  the  daughter  she  had  given  up  for  lost,  as  well  as 
the  amiable  prince  who  had  rescued  her.  The  fairy  en- 
tered with  them  and  warned  the  queen  that  the  wizard 
king  would  shortly  arrive,  infuriated  by  his  loss,  and  that 
nothing  could  preserve  the  prince  and  princess  from  his 
rage  and  magic  unless  they  were  actually  married. 

The  queen  hastened  to  inform  the  king  her  husband, 
and  the  wedding  took  place  on  the  spot. 

As  the  ceremony  was  completed  the  wizard  king  arrived. 
His  despair  at  being  so  late  bewildered  him  so  entirely 
that  he  appeared  in  his  natural  form  and  attempted  to 
sprinkle  some  black  liquid  over  the  bride  and  bridegroom, 
which  was  intended  to  kill  them,  but  the  fairy  stretched  out 
her  wand  and  the  liquid  dropped  on  the  magician  himself. 
He  fell  down  senseless,  and  the  princess'  father,  deeply 
offended  at  the  cruel  revenge  which  had  been  attempted, 
ordered  him  to  be  removed  and  locked  up  in  prison. 

Now,  as  magicians  lose  all  their  power  as  soon  as  they 
are  in  prison,  the  king  felt  himself  much  embarrassed  at 
being  thus  at  the  mercy  of  those  he  had  so  greatly 
offended.  The  prince  implored  and  obtained  his  father's 
pardon,  and  the  prison  doors  were  opened. 

~No  sooner  was  this  done  than  the  wizard  king  was  seen 
in  the  air  in  the  form  of  some  unknown  bird,  exclaiming 
as  he  flew  off  that  he  would  never  forgive  either  his  son  or 
the  fairy  the  cruel  wrong  they  had  done  him. 

Everyone  entreated  the  fairy  to  settle   in  the   kingdom 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         117 

where  she  now  was,  to  which  she  consented.  She  built 
herself  a  magnificent  palace, '  to  which  she  transported  her 
books  and  fairy  secrets,  and  where  she  enjoyed  the  sight 
of  the  perfect  happiness  she  had  helped  to  bestow  on  the 
entire  royal  family. 


THE  KEXY  * 

There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  miller  who  Avas  very  well 
toff  and  had  as  much  money  and  as  many  goods  as  he  knew 
what  to  do  with.  But  sorrow  comes  in  the  night,  and  the 
miller  all  of  a  sudden  became  so  poor  that  at  last  ho  could 
hardly  call  the  mill  in  which  he  sat  his  own.  He.  wan- 
dered about  all  day  full  of  despair  and  misery,  and  when 
he  lay  down  at  night  he  could  get  no  rest,  but  lay  awake 
all  night  sunk  in  sorrowful  thoughts. 

One  morning  he  rose  up  before  dawn  and  went  outside, 
for  he  thought  his  heart  would  be  lighter  in  the  open  air. 
As  he  wandered  up  and  down  on  the  banks  of  the  mill- 
pond  he  heard  a  rustling  in  the  water,  and  when  he  looked 
near  he  saw  a  white  woman  rising  up  from  the  waves. 

He  realized  at  once  that  this  could  be  none  other  than 
the  nixy  of  the  mill-pond,  and  in  his  terror  he  didn't 
Tmow  if  he  should  fly  away  or  remain  where  he  was. 
While  he  hesitated  the  nixy  spoke,  called  him  by  his  name, 
and  asked  him  why  he  was  so  sad. 

When  the  miller  heard  how  friendly  her  tone  was,  he 
plucked  up  heart  and  told  her  how  rich  and  prosperous 
he  had  been  all  his  life  up  till  now,  when  he  didn't  know 
what  he  was  to  do  for  want  and  misery. 

Then  the  nixy  spoke  comforting  words  to  him,  and 
promised  that  she  would  make  him  richer  and  more  pros- 
perous than  he  had  ever  been  in  his  life  before  if  he  would 
give  her  in  return  the  youngest  thing  in  his  house. 

The  miller  thought  she  must  mean  one  of  his  puppies 
or  kittens,  so  promised  the  nixy  at  once  what  she  asked 
and  returned  to  his  mill  full  of  hope.  On  the  threshold 
he  was  greeted  by  a  servant  with  the  news  that  his  wife 
iad  just  given  birth  to  a  boy. 

*  From  the  German.    Kletke. 


118          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

The  poor  miller  was  much  horrified  by  these  tidings, 
and  went  in  to  his  wife  with  a  heavy  heart  to  tell  her  and 
his  relations  of  the  fatal  bargain  he  had  just  struck  with 
the  nixy.  "  I  would  gladly  give  up  all  the  good  fortune 
she  promised  me,"  he  said,  "  if  I  could  only  save  my 
child."  But  no  one  could  think  of  any  advice  to  give 
him,  beyond  taking  care  that  the  child  never  went  near 
the  mill-pond. 

So  the  boy  throve  and  grew  big,  and  in  the  meantime  all 
prospered  with  the  miller,  and  in  a  few  years  he  was  richer 
than  he  had  ever  been  before.  But,  all  the  same,  he  did 
not  enjoy  his  good  fortune,  for  he  could  not  forget  his 
compact  with  the  nixy,  and  he  knew  that  sooner  or  later 
she  would  demand  his  fulfillment  of  it.  But  year  after 
year  went  by,  and  the  boy  grew  up  and  became  a  great 
hunter,  and  the  lord  of  the  land  took  him  into  his  service, 
for  he  was  as  smart  and  bold  a  hunter  as  you  would  wish 
to  see.  In  a  short  time  he  married  a  pretty  young  wife 
and  lived  with  her  in  great  peace  and  happiness. 

One  day  when  he  was  out  hunting  a  hare  sprang  up  at 
his  feet  and  ran  for  some  way  in  front  of  him  in  the  open 
field.  The  hunter  pursued  it/  hotly  for  some  time  and  at 
last  shot  it  dead.  Then  he  proceeded  to  skin  it,  never 
noticing  that  he  was  close  to  the  mill-pond,  which  from 
childhood  up  he  had  been  taught  to  avoid.  He  soon 
finished  the  skinning  and  went  to  the  water  to  wash  the 
blood  off  his  hands.  He  had  hardly  dipped  them  in  the 
pond  when  the  nixy  rose  up  in  the  water,  and  seizing  him  in 
her  wet  arms  she  dragged  him  down  with  her  under  the 
waves. 

When  the  hunter  did  not  come  home  in  the  evening  his 
wife  grew  very  anxious,  and  when  his  game-bag  was 
found  close  to  the  mill-pond  she  guessed  at  once  what  had 
befallen  him.  She  was  nearly  beside  herself  with  grief, 
and  roamed  round  and  round  the  pond,  calling  on  her 
husband  without  ceasing.  At  last,  worn  out  with  sorrow 
and  fatigue,  she  fell  asleep  and  dreamed  that  she  was 
wandering  along  a  flowery  meadow,  when  she  came  to  a 
hut  where  she  found  an  old  witch,  who  promised  to  restore 
her  husband  to  her. 

When   she   awoke  next   morning   she   determined   to   set 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


119 


out  and  find  the  witch;  so  she  wandered  on  for  many  a 
day,  and  at  last  she  reached  the  flowery  meadow  and 
found  the  hut  where  the  old  witch  lived.  The  poor  wife 


The  Miller  Sees  the  Nixy  of  the  Mill-Pond. 


told  her  all  that  had  kappened  and  how  she  had  been  told 
in  a  dream  of  the  witch's  power  to  help  her. 

The  witch  counseled  her  to  go  to  the  pond  the  first 
•time  there  was  a  full  moon,  and  to  comb  her  black  hair 
•with  a  golden  comb,  and  tlien  to  place  the  comb  on  the 


120         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

bank.  The  hunter's  wife  gave  the  witch  a  handsome  pres- 
ent, thanked  her  heartily,  and  returned  home. 

Time  dragged  heavily  till  the  time  of  the  full  moon, 
hut  it  passed  at  last,  and  as  soon  as  it  rose  the  young  wife 
went  to  the  pond,  combed  her  black  hair  with  a  golden 
comb,  and  when  she  had  finished  placed  the  comb  on  the 
bank;  then  she  watched  the  water  impatiently.  Soon  she 
heard  a  rushing  sound,  and  a  big  wave  rose  suddenly 
and  swept  the  comb  off  the  bank,  and  a  minute  after  the 
head  of  her  husband  rose  from  the  pond  and  gazed  sadly 
at  her.  But  immediately  another  wave  came,  and  the 
head  sank  back  into  the  water  without  having  said  a  word. 
The  pond  lay  still  and  motionless,  glittering  in  the  moon- 
shine, and  the  hunter's  wife  wag  not  a  bit  better  off  than 
she  had  been  before. 

In  despair  she  wandered  about  for  days  and  nights,  and 
at  last,  worn  out  by  fatigue,  she  sank  once  more  into  a 
deep  sleep  and  dreamed  exactly  the  same  dream  about  the 
old  witch.  So  next  morning  she  went  again  to  the  flowery 
meadow,  sought  the  witch  in  her  hut,  and  told  her  of  her 
grief.  The  old  woman  counseled  her  to  go  to  the  mill-pond 
the  next  moon  and  play  upon  a  golden  flute,  and  then 
to  lay  the  flute  on  the  bank. 

As  soon  as  the  next  moon  was  full  the  hunter's  wife 
went  to  the  mill-pond,  played  on  a  golden  flute,  and  when 
she  had  finished  placed  it  on  the  bank.  Then  a  rushing 
sound  was  heard  and  a  wave  swept  the  flute  off  the  bank, 
and  soon  the  head  of  the  hunter  appeared  and  rose  up 
higher  and  higher  till  he  was  half  out  of  the  water.  Then 
he  gazed  sadly  at  his  wife  and  stretched  out  his  arms 
toward  her.  But  another  rushing  wave  arose  and  dragged 
him  under  once  more.  The  hunter's  wife,  who  had  stood 
on  the  bank  full  of  joy  and  hope,  sank  into  despair  when 
she  saw  her  husband  snatched  away  again  before  her  eyes. 

But  for  her  comfort  she  dreamed  the  same  dream  a  third 
time,  and  betook  herself  once  more  to  the  old  witch's  hut 
in  the  flowery  meadow.  This  time  the  old  woman  told  her 
to  go  the  next  full  moon  to  the  mill-pond  and  to  spin  there 
with  a  golden  spinning-wheel,  and  then  to  leare  the  spin- 
ning-wheel on  the  bank. 

The  hunter's  wife  did  as  she  was  advised,  and  the  first 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


121 


night  the  moon  was  full  she  sat  and  spun  with  a  golden 
spinning-wheel,  and  then  left  the  wheel  on  the  bank.  In 
a  few  minutes  a  rushing  sound  was  heard  in  the  waters  and 
a  wave  swept  the  spinning-wheel  from  the  bank.  Imme- 
diately the  head  of  the  hunter  rose  up  from  the  pond, 
getting  higher  and  higher  each  moment,  till  at  length  he 
stepped  on  to  the  bank  and  fell  on  his  wife's  neck. 

But  the  waters  of  the  pond  rose  up  suddenly,  over- 
flowed the  bank  where  the  couple  stood,  and  dragged  them 
under  the  flood.  In  her  despair  the  young  wife  called  on 
the  old  witch  to  help  her,  and  in  a  moment  the  hunter  was 


"A  wave  swept  the  spinning-wheel  from  the  bank." 

turned  into  a  frog  and  his  wife  into  a  toad.  But  they 
were  not  able  to  remain  together,  for  the  water  tore  them, 
apart,  and  when  the  flood  was  over  they  both  resumed  their 
own  shapes  again,  but  the  hunter  and  the  hunter's  wife 
found  themselves  each  in  a  strange  country,  and  neither 
knew  what  had  become  of  the  other. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

The  hunter  determined  to  become  a  shepherd,  and  his 
wife  too  became  a  shepherdess.  So  they  herded  their  sheep 
for  many  years  in  solitude  and  sadness. 

Now,  it  happened  once  that  the  shepherd  came  to  the 
country  where  the  shepherdess  lived.  The  neighborhood 
pleased  him,  and  he  saw  that  the  pasture  was  rich  and 
suitable,  for  his  flocks.  So  he  brought  his  sheep  there  and 
herded  them  as  before.  The  shepherd  and  shepherdess 
became  great  friends,  but  they  did  not  recognize  each  other 
in  the  least. 

But  one  evening  when  the  moon  was  full  they  sat 
together  watching  their  flocks,  and  the  shepherd  played 
upon  his  flute.  Then  the  shepherdess  thought  of  that 
evening  when  she  sat  at  the  full  moon  by  the  mill-pond 
and  had  played  on  the  golden  flute;  the  recollection  was 
too  much  for  her  and  she  burst  into  tears.  The  shepherd 
asked  her  why  she  was  crying  and  left  her  no  peace  till  she 
told  him  all  her  story.  Then  the  scales  fell  from  the 
shepherd's  eyes,  and  he  recognized  his  wife  and  she  him. 
So  they  returned  joyfully  to  their  own  home  and  lived  in 
peace  and  happiness  ever  after. 


THE  GLASS  MOUNTAIN* 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  glass  mountain  at  the  top 
of  which  stood  a  castle  made  of  pure  gold,  and  in  front  of 
the  castle  there  grew  an  apple-tree  on  which  there  were 
golden  apples. 

Anyone  who  picked  an  apple  gained  admittance  into  the 
golden  castle,  and  there  in  a  silver  room  sat  an  enchanted 
princess  of  surpassing  fairness  and  beauty.  She  was  as 
rich,  too,  as  she  was  beautiful,  for  the  cellars  of  the  castle 
were  full  of  precious  stones,  and  great  chests  of  the  finest 
gold  stood  round  the  walls  of  all  the  rooms. 

Many  knights  had  come  from  afar  to  try  their  luck,  but 
it  was  in  vain  they  attempted  to  climb  the  mountain.  In. 
spite  of  having  their  horses  shod  with  sharp  nails,  no  one 
managed  to  get  more  than  halfway  up,  and  then  they  all 
fell  back  right  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  steep,  slippery  hill. 
*  From  the  Polish.  Kletke. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.         123 

Sometimes  they  broke  an  arm,  sometimes  a  leg,  and  many 
a  brave  man  had  broken  his  neck  even. 

The  beautiful  princess  sat  at  her  window  and  watched  the 
bold  knights  trying  to  reach  her  on  their  splendid  horses. 
The  sight  of  her  always  gave  men  fresh  courage,  and  they 
nocked  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe  to  attempt  the 
work  of  rescuing  her.  But  all  in  vain,  and  for  seven  years 
the  princess  had  sat  now  and  waited  for  someone  to  scale 
the  glass  mountain. 

A  heap  of  corpses  both  of  riders  and  horses  lay  around  the 
mountain,  and  many  dying  men  lay  groaning  there,  unable 
to  go  any  further  with  their  wounded  limbs.  The  whole 
neighborhood  had  the  appearance  of  a  vast  churchyard. 
In  three  more  days  the  seven  years  would  be  at  an  end, 
when  a  knight  in  golden  armor  and  mounted  on  a  spirited 
steed  was  seen  making  his  way  toward  the  fatal  hill. 

Sticking  his  spurs  into  his  horse  he  made  a  rush  at  the 
mountain  and  got  up  halfway;  then  he  calmly  turned  his 
horse's  head  and  came  down  again  without  a  slip  or 
stumble.  The  following  day  he  started  in  the  same  way; 
the  horse  trod  on  the  glass  as  if  it  had  been  level  earth,  and 
sparks  of  fire  flew  from  its  hoofs.  All  the  other  knights 
gazed  in  astonishment,  for  he  had  almost  gained  the  sum- 
mit, and  in  another  moment  he  would  have  reached  the 
apple-tree;  but  of  a  sudden  a  huge  eagle  rose  up  and  spread 
its  mighty  wings,  hitting  as  it  did  so  the  knight's  horse  in 
the  eye.  The  beast  shied,  opened  its  wide  nostrils  and 
tossed  its  mane,  then  rearing  high  up  in  the  air,  its  hind 
feet  slipped  and  it  fell  with  its  rider  down  the  steep  moun- 
tain side.  Nothing  was  left  of  either  of  them  except  their 
bones,  which  rattled  in  the  battered  golden  armor  like  dry 
peas  in  a  pod. 

And  now  there  was  only  one  more  day  before  the  close 
of  the  seven  years.  Then  there  arrived  on  the  scene  a  mere 
school-boy — a  merry,  happy-hearted  youth,  but  at  the  same 
time  strong  and  well  grown.  He  saw  how  many  knights 
had  broken  their  necks  in  vain,  but  undaunted  he  ap- 
proached the  steep  mountain  on  foot  and  began  the  ascent. 

For  long  he  had  heard  his  parents  speak  of  the  beautiful 
princess  who  sat  in  the  golden  castle  at  the  top  of  the  glass 
mountain.  He  listened  to  all  he  heard,  and  determined  that 


124         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

he  too  would  try  his  luck.  But  first  he  went  to  the  forest 
and  caught  a  lynx,  and  cutting  off  the  creature's  sharp 
claws,  he  fastened  them  on  to  his  own  hands  and  feet. 

Armed  with  these  weapons  he  boldly  started  up  the  glass 
mountain.  The  sun  was  nearly  going  down,  and  the  youth 
had  not  got  more  than  halfway  up.  He  could  hardly  draw 
breath  he  was  so  worn  out,  and  his  mouth  was  parched  by 
thirst.  A  huge  black  cloud  passed  over  his  head,  but  in 
vain  did  he  beg  and  beseech  her  to  let  a  drop  of  water  fall 
on  him.  He  opened  his  mouth,  but  the  black  cloud  sailed 
past,  and  not  as  much  as  a  drop  of  dew  moistened  his  dry 
lips. 

His  feet  were  torn  and  bleeding,  and  he  could  only  hold 
on  now  with  his  hands.  Evening  closed  in,  and  he  strained 
his  eyes  to  see  if  he  could  behold  the  top  of  the  mountain. 
Then  he  gazed  beneath  him,  and  what  a  sight  met  his  eyes ! 
A  yawning  abyss,  with  certain  and  terrible  death  at  the 
bottom,  reeking  with  half-decayed  bodies  of  horses  and 
riders!  And  this  had  been  the  end  of  all  the  other  brave 
men  who  like  himself  had  attempted  the  ascent. 

It  was  almost  pitch-dark  now,  and  only  the  stars  lit  up 
the  glass  mountain.  The  poor  boy  still  clung  on  as  if 
glued  to  the  glass  by  his  blood-stained  hands.  He  made 
no  struggle  to  get  higher,  for  all  his  strength  had  left  him, 
and  seeing  no  hope  he  calmly  awaited  death.  Then  all  of 
a  sudden  he  fell  into  a  deep  sleep,  and  forgetful  of  his 
dangerous  position  he  slumbered  sweetly.  But  all  the 
same,  although  he  slept,  he  had  stuck  his  sharp  claws  so 
firmly  into  the  glass  that  he  was  quite  safe  not  to  fall. 

Now,  the  golden  apple-tree  was  guarded  by  the  eagle 
which  had  overthrown  the  golden  knight  and  his  horse. 
Every  night  it  flew  round  the  glass  mountain  keeping  a 
careful  lookout,  and  no  sooner  had  the  moon  emerged  from 
the  clouds  than  the  bird  rose  up  from  the  apple-tree,  and 
circling  round  in  the  air  caught  sight  of  the  sleeping  youth. 

Greedy  for  carrion,  and  sure  that  this  must  be  a  fresh 
corpse,  the  bird  swooped  down  upon  the  boy.  But  he  was 
awake  now,  and  perceiving  the  eagle,  he  determined  by  its 
help  to  save  himself. 

The  eagle  dug  its  sharp  claws  into  the  tender  flesh  of  the 
youth,  but  he  bore  the  pain  without  a  sound  and  seized  the 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 


125 


bird's  two  feet  with  his  hands.  The  creature  in  terror 
lifted  him  high  up  into  the  air  and  began  to  circle  round 
the  tower  of  the  castle.  The  youth  held  on  bravely.  He 
saw  the  glittering  palace,  which  by  the  pale  rays  of  the 


The  Boy  Attacked  by  the  Eagle  on  the  Glass  Mountain. 

moon  looked  like  a  dim  lamp;  and  he  saw  the  high  win- 
dows, and  round  one  of  them  a  balcony  in  which  the 
beautiful  princess  sat,  lost  in  sad  thoughts.  Then  the  boy 
saw  that  he  was  close  to  the  apple-tree,  and  drawing  a 
small  knife  from  his  belt  he  cut  off  both  the  eagle's  feet. 
The  bird  rose  up  in  the  air  in  its  agony  and  vanished  into 


126         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

the  clouds,  and  the  youth  fell  on  to  the  broad  branches  of 
the  apple-tree. 

Then  he  drew  out  the  claws  of  the  eagle's  feet  that  had 
remained  in  his  flesh  and  put  the  peel  of  one  of  the  golden 
apples  on  the  wound,  and  in  one  moment  it  was  healed 
and  well  again.  He  pulled  several  of  the  beautiful  apples 
and  put  them  in  his  pocket;  then  he  entered  the  castle. 
The  door  was  guarded  by  a  great  dragon,  but  as  soon  as  he 
threw  an  apple  at  it  the  beast  vanished. 

At  the  same  moment  a  gate  opened,  and  the  youth  per- 
aeived  a  court-yard  full  of  flowers  and  beautiful  trees,  and 
on  a  balcony  sat  the  lovely  enchanted  princess  with  her 
retinue. 

As  soon  as  she  saw  the  youth  she  ran  toward  him  and 
greeted  him  as  her  husband  and  master.  She  gave  him 
all  her  treasures,  and  the  youth  became  a  rich  and  mighty 
ruler.  But  he  never  returned  to  the  earth,  for  only  the 
mighty  eagle,  who  had  been  the  guardian  of  the  princess 
and  of  the  castle,  could  have  carried  on  his  wings  the 
enormous  treasure  down  to  the  world.  But  as  the  eagle  had 
lost  its  feet  it  died,  and  its  body  was  found  in  a  wood  on  the 
glass  mountain. 

One  day  when  the  youth  was  strolling  about  the  palace 
garden  with  the  princess  his  wife,  he  looked  down  over 
the  edge  of  the  glass  mountain  and  saw  to  his  astonishment 
a  great  number  of  people  gathered  there.  He  blew  his 
silver  whistle,  and  the  swallow  who  acted  as  messenger  in 
the  golden  castle  flew  past. 

"  Fly  down  and  ask  what  the  matter  is,"  he  said  to  the 
little  bird,  who  sped  off  like  lightning  and  soon  returned, 
saying : 

"  The  blood  of  the  eagle  has  restored  all  the  people  below 
to  life.  All  those  who  have  perished  on  this  mountain  are 
awakening  up  to-day,  as  it  were  from  a  sleep,  and  are 
mounting  their  horses,  and  the  whole  population  are  gazing 
on  this  unheard-of  wonder  with  joy  and  amazement." 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.          127 


ALPHEGE;  OK,  THE  GKEEN  MONKEY. 

Many  years  ago  there  lived  a  king  who  was  twice  mar- 
ried. His  first  wife,  a  good  and  faithful  woman,  died  at 
the  birth  of  her  little  son,  and  the  king  her  husband  was  so 
overwhelmed  with  grief  at  her  loss  that  his  only  comfort 
was  in  the  sight  of  his  heir. 

When  the  time  for  the  young  prince's  christening  came 
the  king  chose  as  godmother  a  neighboring  princess,  so 
celebrated  for  her  wisdom  and  goodness  that  she  was  com- 
monly called  "  the  good  queen."  She  named  the  baby 
Alphege  and  from  that  moment  took  him  to  her  heart. 

Time  wipes  away  the  greatest  griefs,  and  after  two  or 
three  years  the  king  married  again.  His  second  wife  was 
a  princess  of  undeniable  beauty,  but  by  no  means  of  so 
amiable  a  disposition  as  the  first  queen.  In  due  time  a  sec- 
ond prince  was  born,  and  the  queen  was  devoured  with 
rage  at  the  thought  that  Prince  Alphege  came  between  her 
son  and  the  throne.  She  took  care,  however,  to  conceal 
her  jealous  feelings  from  the  king. 

At  length  she  could  control  herself  no  longer,  so  she  sent 
a  trusty  servant  to  her  old  and  faithful  friend  the  fairy  of 
the  mountain,  to  beg  her  to  devise  some  means  by  which 
.she  might  get  rid  of  her  stepson. 

The  fairy  replied  that  much  as  she  desired  to  be  agree- 
able to  the  queen  in  every  way,  it  was  impossible  for  her 
to  attempt  anything  against  the  young  prince,  who  was 
under  the  protection  of  some  greater  power  than  her  own. 

The  "  good  queen "  on  her  aide  watched  carefully  over 
lier  godson.  She  was  obliged  to  do  so  from  a  distance,  her 
own  country  being  a  remote  one,  but  she  was  well  informed 
of  all  that  went  on  and  knew  all  about  the  queen's  wicked 
designs.  She  therefore  sent  the  prince  a  large  and  splendid 
ruby,  with  injunctions  to  wear  it  night  and  day,  as  it 
would  protect  him  from  all  attacks,  but  added  that  the 
talisman  only  retained  its  power  as  long  as  the  prince  re- 
mained within  his  father's  dominions.  The  wicked  queen, 
knowing  this,  made  every  attempt  to  get  the  prince  out  of 
the  country,  but  her  efforts  failed,  till  one  day  accident  did 
-what  she  was  unable  to  accomplish. 


128          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

The  king  had  an  only  sister  who  was  greatly  attached  to 
him  and  who  was  married  to  the  sovereign  of  a  distant 
country.  She  had  always  kept  up  a  close  correspondence 
with  her  brother,  and  the  accounts  she  heard  of  Prince 
Alphege  made  her  long  to  become  acquainted  with  so 
charming  a  nephew*.  She  entreated  the  king  to  allow  the 
prince  to  visit  her,  and  after  some  hesitation,  which  was 
overruled  by  his  wife,  he  finally  consented. 

Prince  Alphege  was  at  this  time  fourteen  years  old  and 
the  handsomest  and  most  engaging  youth  imaginable.  In 
his  infancy  he  had  been  placed  in  the  charge  of  one  of  the 
great  ladies  of  the  court,  who,  according  to  the  prevailing 
custom,  acted  first  as  his  head  nurse  and  then  as  his  gov- 
erness. When  he  outgrew  her  care  her  husband  was  ap- 
pointed as  his  tutor  and  governor,  so  that  he  had  never 
been  separated  from  this  excellent  couple,  who  loved  him 
as  tenderly  as  they  did  their  only  daughter  Zayda,  and 
were  warmly  loved  by  him  in  return. 

When  the  prince  set  forth  on  his  travels  it  was  but 
natural  that  this  devoted  couple  should  accompany  him, 
and  accordingly  Jie  started  with  them  and  attended  by  a 
numerous  retinue. 

For  some  time  he  traveled  through  his  father's  dominions 
and  all  went  well;  but  soon  after  passing  the  frontier  they 
had  to  cross  a  desert  plain  under  a  burning  sun.  They 
were  glad  to  take  shelter  under  a  group  of  trees  near,  and 
here  the  prince  complained  of  burning  thirst.  Luckily  a 
tiny  stream  ran  close  by  and  some  water  was  soon  pro- 
cured, but  no  sooner  had  he  tasted  it  than  he  sprang  from 
his  carriage  and  disappeared  in  a  moment.  In  vain  did  his 
anxious  followers  seek  for  him — he  was  nowhere  to  be 
found. 

As  they  were  hunting  and  shouting  through  the  trees  a 
great  black  monkey  suddenly  appeared  on  a  point  of  rock 
and  said:  "Poor  sorrowing  people,  you  are  seeking  your 
prince  in  vain.  Return  to  your  own  country  and  know 
that  he  will  not  be  restored  to  you  till  you  have  for  some 
time  failed  to  recognize  him." 

With  these  words  he  vanished,  leaving  the  courtiers 
sadly  perplexed;  but  as  all  their  efforts  to  find  the  prince 
were  useless  they  had  no  choice  but  to  go  home,  bringing 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


129 


with  them  the  sad  news,  which  so  greatly  distressed  the 
king  that  he  fell  ill  and  died  not  long  after. 

The  queen,  whose  ambition  was  boundless,  was  delighted 
to  see  the  crown  on  her  son's  head  and  to  have  the  power 
in  her  own  hands.  Her  hard  rule  made  her  very  unpopu- 
lar, and  it  was  commonly  believed  that  she  had  made  away 
with  Prince  Alphege.  Indeed,  had  the  king  her  son  not 
been  deservedly  beloved  a  revolution  would  certainly  have 
arisen. 

Meantime  the  former  governess  of  the  unfortunate 
Alphege,  who  had  lost  her  husband  soon  after  the  king's 


The  King  Makes  Friends  with  the  Green  Monkey. 

death,  retired  to  her  own  house  with  her  daughter,  who 
grew  up  a  lovely  and  most  lovable  girl,  and  both  continued 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  their  dear  prince. 

The  young  king  was  devoted  to  hunting  and  often  in- 
dulged in  his  favorite  pastime,  attended  by  the  noblest 
youths  in  his  kingdom.  One  day,  after  a  long  morning's 
chase,  he  stopped  to  rest  near  a  brook  in  the  shade  of  a 
little  wood,  where  a  splendid  tent  had  been  prepared  for 
him.  While  at  luncheon  he  suddenly  spied  a  little  monkey 
of  the  brightest  green  sitting  on  a  tree  and  gazing  so  ten- 


130        THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

derly  at  him  that  he  felt  quite  moved.  He  forbade  his 
courtiers  to  frighten  it,  and  the  monkey,  noticing  how 
much  attention  was  being  paid  him,  sprang  from  bough  to 
bough  and  at  length  gradually  approached  the  king,  who 
offered  him  some  food.  The  monkey  took  it  very  daintily 
and  finally  came  to  the  table.  The  king  took  him  on  his 
knees  and,  delighted  with  his  capture,  brought  him  home 
with  him.  He  would  trust  no  one  else  with  his  care,  and 
the  whole  court  soon  talked  of  nothing  but  the  pretty  green 
monkey. 

One  morning,  as  Prince  Alphege's  governess  and  her 
daughter  were  alone  together,  the  little  monkey  sprang  in 
through  an  open  window.  He  had  escaped  from  the 
palace,  and  his  manners  were  so  gentle  and  caressing  that 
Zayda  and  her  mother  soon  got  over  the  first  fright  he  had 
given  them.  He  had  spent  some  time  with  them  and 
quite  won  their  hearts  by  his  insinuating  ways,  when  the 
king  discovered  where  he  was  and  sent  to  fetch  him  back. 
But  the  monkey  made  such  piteous  cries,  and  seemed  so 
unhappy  when  anyone  attempted  to  catch  him,  that  the 
two  ladies  begged  the  king  to  leave  him  a  little  longer  with 
them,  to  which  he  consented. 

One  evening,  as  they  sat  by  the  fountain  in  the  garden, 
the  little  monkey  kept  gazing  at  Zayda  with  such  sad  and 
loving  eyes  that  she  and  her  mother  could  not  think  what 
to  make  of  it,  and  they  were  still  more  surprised  when  they 
saw  big  tears  rolling  down  his  cheeks. 

Next  day  both  mother  and  daughter  were  sitting  in  a 
jessamine  bower  in  the  garden,  and  they  began  to  talk  of 
the  green  monkey  and  his  strange  ways.  The  mother  said: 
"  My  dear  child,  I  can  no  longer  hide  my  feelings  from 
you.  I  cannot  get  the  thought  out  of  my  mind  that  the 
green  monkey  is  no  other  than  our  beloved  Prince  Alphege, 
transformed  in  this  strange  fashion.  I  know  the  idea 
sounds  wild,  but  I  cannot  get  it  out  of  my  heart,  and  it 
leaves  me  no  peace." 

As  she  spoke  she  glanced  up,  and  there  sat  the  little 
monkey,  whose  tears  and  gestures  seemed  to  confirm  her 
words. 

The  following  night  the  elder  lady  dreamed  that  she  saw 
the  good  queen,  who  said :  "  Do  not  weep  any  longer,  but 


THE    YELLOW    FAIKY    BOOK.  131 

follow  my  directions.  Go  into  your  garden  and  lift  up  the 
little  marble  slab  at  the  foot  of  the  great  myrtle  tree.  You 
will  find  beneath  it  a  crystal  vase  filled  with  a  bright  green 
liquid.  Take  it  with  you  and  place  the  thing  which  is  at 
present  most  in  your  thoughts  into  a  bath  filled  with  roses, 
and  rub  it  well  with  the  green  liquid." 

At  these  words  the  sleeper  awoke  and  lost  no  time  in 
rising  and  hurrying  to  the  garden,  where  she  found  all  as 
the  good  queen  had  described.  Then  she  hastened  to  arouse 
her  daughter,  and  together  they  prepared  the  bath,  for  they 
would  not  let  their  women  know  what  they  were  about. 
Zayda  gathered  quantities  of  roses,  and  when  all  was  ready 
they  put  the  monkey  into  a  lar^e  jasflgr  hath,  where  the 
mother  rubbed  him  all  over  with  the  "green  liquid. 

Their  suspense  was  not  long,  for  suddenly  the  monkey 
skin  dropped  off,  and  there  stood  Prince  Alphege,  the 
handsomest  and  most  charming  of  men.  The  joy  of  such 
a  meeting  was  beyond  words.  After  a  time  the  ladies 
begged  the  prince  to  relate  his  adventures,  and  he  told 
them  of  all  his  sufferings  in  the  desert  when  he  was  first 
transformed.  His  only  comfort  had  been  in  visits  from 
the  good  queen,  who  had  at  length  put  him  in  the  way  of 
meeting  his  brother. 

Several  days  were  spent  in  these  interesting  conversations, 
but  at  length  Zayda's  mother  began  to  think  of  the  best 
means  for  placing  the  prince  on  the  throne,  which  was  his 
by  right. 

The  queen  on  her  side  was  feeling  very  anxious.  She 
had  felt  sure  from  the  first  that  her  son's  pet  monkey  was 
no  other  than  Prince  Alphege,  and  she  longed  to  put  an 
end  to  him.  Her  suspicions  were  confirmed  by  the  fairy  of 
the  mountain,  and  she  hastened  in  tears  to  the  king  her  son. 

"  I  am  informed,"  she  cried,  "  that  some  ill-disposed 
people  have  raised  up  an  impostor  in  the  hopes  of  dethron- 
ing you.  You  must  at  once  have  him  put  to  death." 

The  king,  who  was  very  brave,  assured  the  queen  that 
he  would  soon  punish  the  conspirators.  He  made  careful 
inquiries  into  the  matter,  and  thought  it  hardly  probable 
that  a  quiet  widow  and  a  young  girl  would  think  of  at- 
tempting anything  of  the  nature  of  a  revolution. 

He  determined  to  go  and  see  them  and  to  find  out  the 


132 


THE   YELLOW    FAIEY   BOOK. 


truth  for  himself;  so  one  night,  without  saying  anything 
to  the  queen  or  his  ministers,  he  set  out  for  the  palace 
where  the  two  ladies  lived,  attended  only  by  a  small  band 
of  followers. 

The  two  ladies  were  at  the  moment  deep  in  conversation 


with  Prince  Alphege,  and  hearing  a  knocking  so  late  at 
night  begged  him  to  keep  out  of  sight  for  a  time.  What 
was  their  surprise  when  the  door  was  opened  to  see  the 
king  and  his  suite. 

"  I  know,"  said  the  king,  "  that  you  are  plotting  against 
my  crown  and  person,  and  I  have  come  to  have  an  explanation 
with  you." 

As  she  was  about  to  answer,  Prince  Alphege,  who  had 
heard  all,  came  forward  and  said:  "It  is  from  me  you 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK.  133 

must  ask  an  explanation,  brother."  He  spoke  with  such 
grace  and  dignity 'that  everyone  gazed  at  him  with  mute 
surprise. 

At  length  the  king,  recovering  from  his  astonishment  at 
recognizing  the  brother  who  had  been  lost  some  years 
before,  exclaimed:  "Yes,  you  are  indeed  my  brother,  and 
now  that  I  have  found  you,  take  the  throne  to  which  I  have 
no  longer  a  right."  So  saying,  he  respectfully  kissed  the 
prince's  hand. 

Alphege  threw  himself  into  his  arms,  and  the  brothers 
hastened  to  the  royal  palace,  where  in  the  presence  of  the 
entire  court  he  received  the  crown  from  his  brother's  hand. 
To  clear  away  any  possible  doubt,  he  showed  the  ruby 
which  the  good  queen  had  given  him  in  his  childhood.  As 
they  were  gazing  at  it,  it  suddenly  split  with  a  loud  noise, 
and  at  the  same  moment  the  wicked  queen  expired. 

King  Alphege  lost  no  time  in  marrying  his  dear  and 
lovely  Zayda,  and  his  joy  was  complete  when  the  good 
queen  appeared  at  his  wedding.  She  assured  him  that  the 
fairy  of  the  mountain  had  henceforth  lost  all  power  over 
him,  and  after  spending  some  time  with  the  young  couple 
and  bestowing  the  most  costly  presents  on  them,  she  retired 
to  her  own  country. 

King  Alphege  insisted  on  his  brother  sharing  his  throne, 
and  they  nil  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  universally  beloved 
and  admired. 


FAIKEK-THAN-A-FAIRY. 

Once  there  lived  a  king  who  had  no  children  for  many 
years  after  his  marriage.  At  length  Heaven  granted  him  a 
daughter  of  such  remarkable  beauty  that  he  could  think 
of  no  name  so  appropriate  for  her  as  Fairer-than-a-fairy. 

It  never  occurred  to  the  good-natured  monarch  that  such 
a  name  was  certain  to  call  down  the  hatred  and  jealousy  of 
the  fairies  in  a  body  on  the  child,  but  this  was  what  hap- 
pened. ~No  sooner  had  they  heard  of  this  presumptuous 
name  than  they  resolved  to  gain  possession  of  her  who  bore 
it,  and  either  to  torment  her  cruelly  or  at  least  to  conceal 
her  from  the  eyes  of  all  men. 


134         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

The  eldest  of  their  tribe  was  entrusted  to  carry  out  their 
revenge.  This  fairy  was  named  Lagree.  She  was  so  old 
that  she  only  had  one  eye  and  one  tooth  left,  and  even, 
these  poor  remains  she  had  to  keep  all  night  in  a  strength- 
ening liquid.  She  was  also  so  spiteful  that  she  gladly 
devoted  all  her  time  to  carrying  out  all  the  mean  or  ill- 
natured  tricks  of  the  whole  body  of  fairies. 

With  her  large  experience,  added  to  her  native  spite,  she 
found  but  little  difficulty  in  carrying  off  Fairer-than-a-fairy» 
The  poor  child,  who  was  only  seven  years  old,  nearly  died 
of  fear  on  finding  herself  in  the  power  of  this  hideous 
creature.  However,  when  after  an  hour's  journey  under- 
ground she  found  herself  in  a  splendid  palace  with  lovely 
gardens,  she  felt  a  little  reassured,  and  was  further  cheered 
when  she  discovered  that  her  pet  cat  and  dog  had  followed 
her. 

The  old  fairy  led  her  to  a  pretty  room  which  she  said 
should  be  hers,  at  the  same  time  giving  her  the  strictest 
orders  never  to  let  out  the  fire  which  was  burning  brightly 
in  the  grate.  She  then  gave  two  glass  bottles  into  the 
princess'  charge,  desiring  her  to  take  the  greatest  care  of 
them,  and  having  enforced  her  orders  with  the  most  awful 
threats  in  case  of  disobedience,  she  vanished,  leaving  the 
little  girl  at  liberty  to  explore  the  palace  and  grounds  and 
a  good  deal  relieved  at  having  only  two  apparently  easy 
tasks  set  her. 

Several  years  passed,  during  which  time  the  princess 
grew  accustomed  to  her  lonely  life,  obeyed  the  fairy's 
orders,  and  by  degrees  forgot  all  about  the  court  of  the 
king  her  father. 

One  day,  while  passing  near  a  fountain  in  the  garden,, 
she  noticed  that  the  sun's  rays  fell  on  the  water  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  produce  a  brilliant  rainbow.  She  stood  still 
to  admire  it,  when,  to  her  great  surprise,  she  heard  a  voice 
addressing  her  which  seemed  to  come  from  the  center  of  its 
rays.  The  voice  was  that  of  a  young  man,  and  its  sweet- 
ness of  tone  and  the  agreeable  things  it  uttered  led  one  to- 
infer  that  its  owner  must  be  equally  charming;  but  this 
had  to  be  a  mere  matter  of  fancy,  for  no  one  was  visible. 

The  beautiful  rainbow  informed  Fairer-than-a-fairy  that 
he  was  young,  the  son  of  a  powerful  king,  and  that  the 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


135 


fairy  Lagree,  who  owed  his  parents  a  grudge,  had  revenged 
herself  by  depriving  him  of  his  natural  shape  for  some 
years;  that  she  had  imprisoned  him  in  the  palace,  where 
he  had  found  his  confinement  hard  to  bear  for  some  time, 
but  now,  he  owned,  he  no  longer  sighed  for  freedom  since 
he  had  seen  and  learned  to  love  Fairer-than-a-fairy. 

He  added  many  other  tender  speeches  to  this  declaration, 


and  the  princess,  to  whom  such  remarks  we~e  a  new  experi- 
ence, could  not  help  feeling  pleased  and  touched  by  his  at- 
tentions. 

The  prince  could  only  appear  or  speak  under  the  form 
of  a  rainbow,  and  it  was  therefore  necessary  that  the  sun 
should  shine  on  water  so  as  to  enable  the  rays  to  form 
themselves. 

Fairer-than-a-fairy  lost  no'  moment  in  which  she  could 
meet  her  lover,  and  they  enjoyed  many  long  and  interest- 
ing interviews.  One  day,  however,  their  conversation  be- 
came so  absorbing  and  time  passed  so  quickly  that  the 


136         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

princess  forgot  to  attend  to  the  fire,  and  it  went  out. 
Lagree,  on  her  return,  soon  found  out  the  neglect,  and 
seemed  only  to  pleased  to  have  the  opportunity  of  show- 
ing her  spite  to  her  lovely  prisoner.  She  ordered  Fairer- 
than-a-fairy  to  start  next  day  at  dawn  to  ask  Locrinos  for 
fire  with  which  to  relight  the  one  she  had  allowed  to  go 
out. 

Now,  this  Locrinos  was  a  cruel  monster  who  devoured 
everyone  he  came  across,  and  especially  enjoyed  a  chance 
of  catching  and  eating  any  young  girl.  Our  heroine 
obeyed  with  great  sweetness,  and  without  having  been  able 
to  take  leave  of  her  lover  she  set  off  to  go  to  Locrinos  as  to 
certain  death.  As  she  was  crossing  a  wood  a  bird  sang  to 
her  to  pick  up  a  shining  pebble  which  she  would  find  in  a 
fountain  close  by,  and  to  use  it  when  needed.  She  took  the 
bird's  advice,  and  in  due  time  arrived  at  the  house  of 
Locrinos.  Luckily  she  only  found  his  wife  home,  who 
was  much  struck  by  the  princess'  youth  and  beauty  and 
sweet,  gentle  manners,  and  still  further  impressed  by  the 
present  of  the  shining  pebble. 

She  readily  let  Fairer-than-a-fairy  have  the  fire,  and  in 
return  for  the  stone  she  gave  her  another,  which,  she  said, 
might  prove  useful  some  day.  Then  she  sent  her  away 
without  doing  her  any  harm. 

Lagree  was  as  much  surprised  as  displeased  at  the  happy 
result  of  this  expedition,  and  Fairer-than-a-fairy  waited 
anxiously  for  an  opportunity  of  meeting  Prince  Rainbow 
and  telling  him  her  adventures.  She  found,  however,  that 
he  had  already  been  told  all  about  them  by  a  fairy  who 
protected  him  and  to  whom  he  was  related. 

The  dread  of  fresh  dangers  to  his  beloved  princess  made 
him  devise  some  more  convenient  way  of  meeting  than  by 
the  garden  fountain,  and  Fairer-than-a-fairy  carried  out  his 
plan  daily  with  entire  success.  Every  morning  she  placed 
a  large  basin  full  of  water  on  her  window-sill,  and  as  soon 
as  the  sun's  rays  fell  on  the  water  the  rainbow  appeared  as 
clearly  as  it  had  ever  done  in  the  fountain.  By  this  means 
they  were  able  to  meet  without  losing  sight  of  the  fire  or 
of  the  two  bottles  in  which  the  old  fairy  kept  her  eye  and 
her  tooth  at  night,  and  for  some  time  the  lovers  enjoyed 
every  hour  of  sunshine  together. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.         137 

One  day  Prince  Eainbow  appeared  in  the  depths  of  woe. 
He  had  just  heard  that  he  was  to  be  banished  from  this 
lovely  spot,  but  he  had  no  idea  where  he  was  to  go.  The 
poor  young  couple  were  in  despair,  and  only  parted  with 
the  last  ray  of  sunshine,  and  in  hopes  of  meeting  next 
morning.  Alas!  next  day  was  dark  and  gloomy,  and  it 
was  only  late  in  the  afternoon  that  the  sun  broke  through 
the  clouds  for  a  few  minutes. 

Fairer-than-a-fairy  eagerly  ran  to  the  window,  but  in 
her  haste  she  upset  the  basin  and  spilled  all  the  water  with 
which  she  had  carefully  filled  it  overnight.  No  other 
water  was  at  hand  except  that  in  the  two  bottles.  It  was 
the  only  chance  of  seeing  her  lover  before  they  were 
separated,  and  she  did  not  hesitate  to  break  the  bottles  and 
pour  their  contents  into  the  basin,  when  the  rainbow 
appeared  at  once.  Their  farewells  were  full  of  tenderness. 
The  prince  made  the  most  ardent  and  sincere  protestations, 
and  promised  to  neglect  nothing  which  might  help  to  de- 
liver his  dear  Fairer-than-a-fairy  from  her  captivity,  and 
implored  her  to  consent  to  their  marriage  as  soon  as  they 
should  both  be  free.  The  princess,  on  her  side,  vowed  to 
have  no  other  husband,  and  declared  herself  willing  to  brave 
death  itself  in  order  to  rejoin  him. 

They  were  not  allowed  much  time  for  their  adieus. 
The  rainbow  vanished,  and  the  princess,  resolved  to  run 
all  risks,  started  off  at  once,  taking  nothing  with  her  but 
her  dog,  her  cat,  a  sprig  of  myrtle,  and  the  stone  which  the 
wife  of  Locrinos  gave  her. 

When  Lagree  became  aware  of  her  prisoner's  flight  she 
was  furious  and  set  off  at  full  speed  in  pursuit.  She  over- 
took her  just  as  the  poor  girl,  overcome  by  fatigue,  had 
lain  down  to  rest  in  a  cave  which  the  stone  had  formed 
itself  into  to  shelter  her.  The  little  dog,  who  was  watching 
her  mistress,  'promptly  flew  at  Lagree  and  bit  her  so  severely 
that  she  stumbled  against  a  corner  of  the  cave  and  broke 
off  her  only  tooth.  Before  she  had  recovered  from  the 
pain  and  rage  this  caused  her,  the  princess  had  time  to 
escape,  and  was  some  way  on  her  road.  Fear  gave  her 
strength  for  some  time,  but  at  last  she  could  go  no  further 
and  sank  down  to  rest.  As  she  did  so  the  sprig  of  myrtle 
she  carried  touched  the  ground,  and  immediately  a  green 


138 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK, 


and  shady  bower  sprang  up  round  her,  in  which  she  hoped 
to  sleep  in  peace.  But  Lagree  had  not  given  up  her  pur- 
suit, and  arrived  just  as  Fairer-than-a-fairy  had  fallen  fast 


This  time  she  made  sure  of  catching  her  victim, 
but  the  cat  spied  her  out,  and  springing  from  one  of  the 
boughs  of  the  arbor  she  flew  at  Lagree's  face  and  tore  out 
her  only  eye,  thus  delivering  the  princess  forever  from  her 
persecutor. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.         139 

One  might  have  thought  that  all  would  now  be  well,  but 
no  sooner  had  Lagree  been  put  to  flight  than  our  heroine 
was  overwhelmed  with  hunger  and  thirst.  She  felt  as 
though  she  should  certainly  expire,  and  it  was  with  some 
difficulty  that  she  dragged  herself  as  far  as  a  pretty  little 
green- and -white  house  which  stood  at  no  great  distance. 
Here  she  was  received  by  a  beautiful  lady  dressed  in  green 
and  white  to  match  the  house,  which  apparently  belonged 
to  her  and  of  which  she  seemed  the  only  inhabitant. 

She  greeted  the  fainting  princess  most  kindly,  gave  her 
an  excellent  supper,  and  after  a  long  night's  rest  in  a 
delightful  bed  told  her  that  after  many  troubles  she  should 
finally  attain  her  desire. 

As  the  green-and-white  lady  took  leave  of  the  princess 
she  gave  her  a  nut,  desiring  her  only  to  open  it  in  the  most 
urgent  need. 

After  a  long  and  tiring  journey  Fairer-than-a-fairy  was 
once  more  received  in  a  house,  and  by  a  lady  exactly  like 
the  one  she  had  quitted.  Here  again  she  received  a  present 
with  the  same  injunctions,  but  instead  of  a  nut  this  lady 
gave  her  a  golden  pomegranate.  The  mournful  princess  had 
to  continue  her  weary  way,  and  after  many  troubles  and 
hardships  she  again  found  rest  and  shelter  in  a  third  house 
exactly  similar  to  the  two  others. 

These  houses  belonged  to  three  sisters,  all  endowed  with. 
fairy  gifts,  and  all  so  alike  in  mind  and  person  that  they 
wished  their  houses  and  garments  to  be  equally  alike. 
Their  occupation  consisted  in  helping  those  in  misfortune, 
and  they  were  as  gentle  and  benevolent  as  Lagree  had  been 
cruel  and  spiteful. 

The  third  fairy  comforted  the  poor  traveler,  begged  her 
not  to  lose  heart,  and  assured  her  that  her  troubles  should  be 
rewarded.  She  accompanied  her  advice  by  the  gift  of  a  crys- 
tal smelling-bottle,  with  strict  orders  only  to  open  it  in  case 
of  urgent  need.  Fairer-than-a-fairy  thanked  her  warmly 
and  again  resumed  her  way  cheered  by  the  most  pleasant 
thoughts. 

After  a  time  her  road  led  her  through  a  wood  full  of  soft 
airs  and  sweet  odors,  and  before  she  had  gone  a  hundred 
yards  she  saw  a  wonderful  silver  castle  suspended  by  strong 
silver  chains  to  four  of  the  largest  trees.  It  was  so  per- 


140         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

fectly  hung  that  a  gentle  breeze  rocked  it   sufficiently  to 
send  you  pleasantly  to  sleep. 

Fairer-than-a-f airy  felt  a  strong  desire  to  enter  this  castle, 
but  besides  being  hung  a  little  above  the  ground  there 
seemed  to  be  neither  doors  nor  windows.  She  had  110 
doubt  (though  really  I  cannot  think  why)  that  the  mo- 
ment had  come  in  which  to  use  the  nut  which  had  been 
given  her.  She  opened  it,  and  out  came  a  diminutive  hall 
porter  at  whose  belt  hung  a  tiny  chain,  at  the  end  of  which 
was  a  golden  key  half  as  long  as  the  smallest  pin  you  ever 


The  princess  climbed  up  one  of  the  silver  chains,  hold- 
ing in  her  hand  the  little  porter,  who,  in  spite  of  his 
minute  size,  opened  a  secret  door  with  his  golden  key  and 
let  her  in.  She  entered  a  magnificent  room  which  appeared 
to  occupy  the  entire  castle,  and  which  was  lighted  by  gold 
and  jeweled  stars  in  the  ceiling.  In  the  midst  of  this 
room  stood  a  couch,  draped  with  curtains  of  all  the  colors  of 
the  rainbow,  and  suspended  by  golden  cords,  so  that  it 
swayed  with  the  castle  in  a  manner  which  rocked  its  occu- 
pant delightfully  to  sleep. 

On  this  elegant  couch  lay  Prince  Rainbow,  looking 
more  beautiful  than  ever  and  sunk  in  profound  slumber, 
in  which  he  had  been  held  ever  since  his  disappearance. 

Fairer-than-a-fairy,  who  now  saw  him  for  the  first  time 
in  his  real  shape,  hardly  dared  to  gaze  at  him,  fearing  lest 
his  appearance  might  not  be  in  keeping  with  the  voice  and 
language  which  had  won  her  heart.  At  the  same  time  she 
could  not  help  feeling  rather  hurt  at  the  apparent  indiffer- 
ence with  which  she  was  received. 

She  related  all  the  dangers  and  difficulties  she  had  gone 
through,  and  though  she  repeated  the  story  twenty  times 
in  a  loud,  clear  voice,  the  prince  slept  on  and  took  no  heed. 
She  then  had  recourse  to  the  golden  pomegranate,  and  on 
opening  it  found  that  all  the  seeds  were  as  many  little 
violins,  which  flew  up  in  the  vaulted  roof  and  at  once 
began  playing  melodiously. 

The  prince  was  not  completely  roused,  but  he  opened 
his  eyes  a  little  and  looked  all  the  handsomer. 

Impatient  at  not  being  recognized,  Fairer-than-a-fairy 
now  drew  out  her  third  present,  and  on  opening  the  crystal 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  141 

scent-bottle  a  little  siren  flew  out,  who  silenced  the  violins 
and  then  sang  close  to  the  prince's  ear  the  story  of  all  his 
lady-love  had  suffered  in  her  search  for  him.  She  added 
some  gentle  reproaches  to  her  tale,  but  before  she  had  got 
far  he  was  wide  awake,  and  transported  with  joy  threw 
himself  at  the  princess'  feet.  At  the  same  moment  the 
walls  of  the  room  expanded  and  opened  out,  revealing  a 
golden  throne  covered  with  jewels.  A  magnificent  court 
now  began  to  assemble,  and  at  the  same  time  several 
elegant  carriages  filled  with  ladies  in  magnificent  dresses 
drove  up.  In  the  first  and  most  splendid  of  these  carriages 
sat  Prince  Rainbow's  mother.  She  fondly  embraced  her 
son,  after  which  she  informed  him  that  his  father  had  been 
dead  for  some  years,  that  the  anger  of  the  fairies  was  at 
length  appeased,  and  that  he  might  return  in  peace  to 
reign  over  his  people,  who  were  longing  for  his  presence. 

The  court  received  the  new  king  with  joyful  acclama- 
tions which  would  have  delighted  him  at  any  other  time, 
but  all  his  thoughts  were  full  of  Fairer-than-a-fairy.  He 
was  just  about  to  present  her  to  his  mother  and  the  court, 
feeling  sure  that  her  charms  would  win  all  hearts,  when 
the  three  green-and-white  sisters  appeared. 

They  declared  the  secret  of  Fairer-than-a-fairy's  royal 
birth,  and  the  queen,  taking  the  two  lovers  in  her  carriage, 
set  off  with  them  for  the  capital  of  the  kingdom. 

Here  they  were  received  with  tumultuous  joy.  The  wed- 
ding was  celebrated  without  delay,  and  succeeding  years 
diminished  neither  the  virtues,  beauty,  nor  the  mutual  affec- 
tion of  King  Rainbow  and  his  queen,  Fairer-than-a-fairy. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS* 

There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  witch  who  in  the 
of  a  hawk  used  every  night  to  break  the  windows  of  a  cer- 
tain village  church.  In  the  same  village  there  lived  three 
brothers,  who  were  all  determined  to  kill  the  mischievous 
hawk.  But  in  vain  did  the  two  eldest  mount  guard  in 
the  church  with  their  guns;  as  soon  as  the  bird  appeared 

*  From  the  Polish.     Kletke. 


142         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

high  above  their  heads  sleep  overpowered  them,  and  they 
only  awoke  to  hear  the  windows  crashing  in. 

Then  the  youngest  brother  took  his  turn  at  guarding  the 
windows,  and  to  prevent  his  being  overcome  by  sleep  he 
placed  a  lot  of  thorns  under  his  chin,  so  that,  if  he  felt 
drowsy  and  nodded  his  head,  they  would  prick  him  and 
keep  him  awake. 

The  moon  was  already  risen  and  it  was  as  light  as  day, 
when  suddenly  he  heard  a  fearful  noise,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  terrible  desire  to  sleep  overpowered  him. 

His  eyelids  closed  -and  his  head  sank  upon  his  shoulders, 
but  the  thorns  ran  into  him  and  were  so  painful  that  he 
awoke  at  once.  He  saw  the  hawk  swooping  down  upon 
the  church,  and  in  a  moment  he  had  seized  his  gun  and 
shot  at  the  bird.  The  hawk  fell  heavily  under  a  big  stone, 
severely  wounded  in  its  right  wing.  The  youth  ran  to  look 
at  it  and  saw  that  a  huge  abyss  had  opened  below  the 
stone.  He  went  at  once  to  fetch  his  brothers,  and  with 
their  help  dragged  a  lot  of  pine  wood  and  ropes  to  the  spot. 
They  fastened  some  of  the  burning  pine  wood  to  the  end 
of  the  rope  and  let  it  slowly  down  to  the  bottom  of  the 
abyss.  At  first  it  was  quite  dark,  and  the  flaming  torch 
only  lit  up  dirty  gray  stone  walls.  But  the  youngest 
brother  determined  to  explore  the  abyss,  and  letting  him- 
self down  by  the  rope  he  reached  the  bottom.  Here  he 
found  a  lovely  meadow  full  of  green  trees  and  exquisite 
flowers. 

In  the  middle  of  the  meadow  stood  a  huge  stone  castle, 
with  an  iron  gate  leading  to  it  which  was  wide  open. 
Everything  in  the  castle  seemed  to  be  made  of  copper,  and 
the  only  inhabitant  he  could  discover  was  a  lovely  girl, 
who  was  combing  her  golden  hair;  and  he  noticed  that 
whenever  one  of  her  hairs  fell  on  the  ground  it  rang  out 
like  pure  metal.  The  youth  lodged  at  her  more  closely 
and  saw  that  her  skin  was  smooth  and  fair,  her  blue  eyes 
bright  and  sparkling,  and  her  hair  as  golden  as  the  sun. 
He  fell  in  love  with  her  on  the  spot,  and  kneeling  at  her 
feet  he  implored  her  to  become  his  wife. 

The  lovely  girl  accepted  his  proposal  gladly;  but  at  the 
same  time  she  warned  him  that  she  could  never  come  up 
to  the  world  above  until  her  mother^  the  old  witch,  was  dead. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         143 

And  she  went  on  to  tell  him  that  the  only  way  in  which 
the  old  creature  could  be  killed  was  with  the  sword  that 
hung  up  in  the  castle;  but  the  sword  was  so  heavy  that 
no  one  could  lift  it. 

Then  the  youth  went  into  a  room  in  the  castle  where 
everything  was  made  of  silver,  and  here  he  found  another 
beautiful  girl,  the  sister  of  his  bride.  She  was  combing 
her  silver  hair,  and  every  hair  that  fell  on  the  ground  rang 
out  like  pure  metal.  The  second  girl  handed  him  the 
sword,  but  though  he  tried  with  all  his  strength  he  could 
not  lift  it.  At  last  a  third  sister  came  to  him  and  gave 
him  a  drop  of  something  to  drink,  which  she  said  would 
give  him  the  needful  strength.  He  drank  one  drop,  but 
still  he  could  not  lift  the  sword;  then  he  drank  a  second 
and  the  sword  began  to  move;  but  only  after  he  had  drunk 
a  third  drop  was  he  able  to  swing  the  sword  over  his  head. 

Then  he  hid  himself  in  the  castle  and  awaited  the  old 
witch's  arrival.  At  last,  as  it  was  beginning  to  grow  dark, 
she  appeared.  She  swooped  down  upon  a  big  apple-tree, 
and  after  shaking  some  golden  apples  from  it  she  pounced 
down  upon  the  earth.  As  soon  as  her  feet  touched  the 
ground  she  became  transformed  from  a  hawk  into  a  woman. 
This  was  the  moment  the  youth  was  waiting  for,  and  he 
swung  his  mighty  sword  in  the  air  with  all  his  strength 
and  the  witch's  head  fell  off,  and  her  blood  spurted  up  on 
the  walls. 

Without  fear  of  any  further  danger,  he  packed  up  all  the 
treasures  of  the  castle  into  great  chests  and  gave  his 
brothers  a  signal  to  pull  them  up  out  of  the  abyss.  First 
the  treasures  were  attached  to  the  rope,  and  then  the  three 
lovely  girls.  And  now  everything  was  up  above  and  only 
he  himself  remained  below.  But  as  he  was  a  little  sus- 
picious of  his  brothers,  he  fastened  a  heavy  stone  on  to  the 
rope  and  let  them  pull  it  up.  At  first  they  heaved  with  a 
will,  but  when  the  stone  was  halfway  up  they  let  it  drop 
suddenly,  and  it  fell  to  the  bottom  broken  into  a  hundred 
pieces. 

"  So  that's  what  would  have  happened  to  my  bones  had 
I  trusted  myself  to  them,"  said  the  youth  sadly;  and  he 
cried  bitterly,  not  because  of  the  treasures,  but  because  of 
the  lovely  girl  with  her  swanlike  neck  and  golden  hair. 


144 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


For  a  long  time  he  wandered  sadly  all  through  the  beau- 
tiful underworld,  and  one  day  he  met  a  magician  who 
asked  him  the  cause  of  his  tears.  The  youth  told  him  all 
that  had  befallen  him,  and  the  magician  said : 

"  Do  not  grieve,  young  man !  If  you  will  guard  the 
children  who  are  hidden  in  the  golden  apple-tree,  I  will 
bring  you  at  once  up  to  the  earth.  Another  magician  who 
lives  in  this  land  always  eats  my  children  up.  It  is  in  vain 
that  I  have  hidden  them  under  the  earth  and  locked  them 
into  the  castle.  Now  I  have  hidden  them  in  the  apple- 


"Then  the  youth  swung  his  mighty  sword  in  the  air,  and  with 
one  blow  cut  off  the  serpent's  head." 

tree;  hide  yourself  there  too,  and  at  midnight  you  will  see 
my  enemy." 

The  youth  climbed  up  the  tree  and  picked  some  of  the 
beautiful  golden  •  apples,  which  he  ate  for  his  supper. 

Ajfc  midnight  the  wind  began  to  rise  and  a  rustling  sound 
was  heard  at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  The  youth  looked  down 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          145 

and  beheld  a  long  thick  serpent  beginning  to  crawl  up  the 
tree.  It  wound  itself  round  the  stem  and  gradually  got 
higher  and  higher.  It  stretched,  its  huge  head,  in  which 
the  eyes  glittered  fiercely,  among  the  branches,  searching 
for  the  nest  in  which  the  little  children  lay.  They  trembled 
with  terror  when  they  saw  the  hideous  creature  and  hid 
themselves  beneath  the  leaves. 

Then  the  youth  swung  his  mighty  sword  in  the  air,  and 
with  one  blow  cut  off  the  serpent's  head.  He  cut  up  the 
rest  of  the  body  into  little  bits  and  strewed  them  to  the 
four  winds. 

The  father  of  the  rescued  children  was  so  delighted  over 
the  death  of  his  enemy  that  he  told  the  youth  to  get  on  his 
back,  and  thus  he  carried  him  up  to  the  world  above. 

With  what  joy  did  he  hurry  now  to  his  brothers'  house! 
He  burst  into  a  room  where  they  were  all  assembled,  but 
no  one  knew  who  he  was.  Only  his  bride,  who  was  serving 
as  cook  to  her  sisters,  recognized  her  lover  at  once. 

His  brothers,  who  had  quite  believed  he  was  dead, 
yielded  him  up  his  treasures  at  once  and  flew  into  the 
woods  in  terror.  But  the  good  youth  forgave  them  all 
they  had  done  and  divided  his  treasures  with  them. 
Then  he  built  himself  a  big  castle  with  golden  windows, 
and  there  he  lived  happily  with  his  golden-haired  wife 
till  the  end  of  their  lives. 


THE  BOY  AND  THE  WOLVES;  OE,  THE  BROKEN 
PROMISE.* 

Once  upon  a  time  an  Indian  hunter  built  himself  a 
house  in  the  middle  of  a  great  forest,  far  away  from  all 
his  tribe;  for  his  heart  was  gentle  and  kind  and  he  was 
weary  of  the  treachery  and  cruel  deeds  of  those  who  had 
been  his  friends.  So  he  left  them  and  took  his  wife  and 
three  children,  and  they  journeyed  on  until  they  found 
a  spot  near  to  a  clear  stream,  where  they  began  to  cut  down 
trees  and  to  make  ready  their  wigwam.  EOT  many  years 
they  lived  peacefully  and  happily  in  this  sheltered  place, 
never  leaving  it  except  to  hunt  the  wild  animals  which 
*  A  North  American  Indian  Story. 


146         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

served  them  both  for  food  and  clothes.  At  last,  however, 
the  strong  man  felt  sick,  and  before  long  he  knew  he  must 
die.  So  he  gathered  his  family  round  him  and  said  his 
last  words  to  them. 

"  You,  my  wife,  the  companion  of  my  days,  will  follow 
me  ere  many  moons  have  waned  to  the  island  of  the  blessed. 
But  for  you,  O  my  children,  whose  lives  are  but  newly  be- 
gun, the  wickedness,  unkindness,  and  ingratitude  from 
which  I  fled  are  before  you.  Yet  I  shall  go  hence  in  peace, 
my  children,  if  you  will  promise  always  to  love  each  other 
and  never  to  forsake  your  youngest  brother." 

"  Never ! "  they  replied,  holding  out  their  hands.  And 
the  hunter  died  content. 

Scarcely  eight  moons  had  passed  when,  just  as  he  had 
said,  the  wife  went  forth  and  followed  her  husband;  but 
before  leaving  her  children  she  bade  the  two  elder  ones 
think  of  their  promise  never  to  forsake  the  younger,  for 
he  was  a  child  and  weak.  And  while  the  snow  lay  thick 
upon  the  ground  they  tended  him  and  cherished  him;  but 
when  the  earth  showed  green  again  the  heart  of  the  young 
man  stirred  within  him,  and  he  longed  to  see  the  wigwams 
of  the  village  where  his  father's  youth  was  spent. 

Therefore  he  opened  all  his  heart  to  his  sister,  who 
answered:  "My  brother,  I  understand  your  longing  for 
our  fellow-men,  whom  here  we  cannot  see.  But  remem- 
ber our  father's  words.  Shall  we  seek  our  own  pleasures 
and  forget  the  little  one  ? " 

But  he  would  not  listen,  and,  making  no  reply,  he  took 
his  bow  and  arrows  and  left  the  hut.  The  snows  fell  and 
melted,  yet  he  never  returned,  and  at  last  the  heart  of  the 
girl  grew  cold  and  hard  and  her  little  boy  became  a  burden 
in  her  eyes,  till  one  day  she  spoke  thus  to  him :  "  See,  there 
is  food  for  many  days  to  come.  Stay  here  within  the  shelter 
of  the  hut.  I  go  to  seek  our  brother,  and  when  I  shall  have- 
found  him  I  shall  return  hither." 

But  when,  after  hard  journeying,  she  reached  the  village 
where  her  brother  dwelt  and  saw  that  he  had  a  wife  and 
was  happy,  and  when  she,  too,  was  sought  by  a  young  brave, 
then  she  also  forgot  the  boy  alone  in  the  forest  and  thought 
only  of  her  husband. 

Now,  as  soon  as  the  little  boy  had  eaten  all  the  food 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 


147 


which  his  sister  had  left  him,  he  went  out  into  the  woods 
and  gathered  berries  and  dug  up  roots,  and  while  the  sun 
shone  he  was  contented  and  had  his  fill.  But  when  the 
snows  began  and  the  wind  howled,  then  his  stomach  felt 
empty  and  his  limbs  cold,  and  he  hid  in  the  trees  all  the 
night  and  only  crept  out  to  eat  what  the  wolves  had  left 
behind.  And  by  and  by,  having  no  other  friends,  he  sought 


"  My  brother,  my  brother,  I  ain  becoming  a  wolf ! " 

their  company,  and  sat  by  while  they  devoured  their  prey, 
and  they  grew  to  know  him  and  gave  him  food.  And  without 
them  he  would  have  died  in  the  snow. 

But  at  last  the  snows  melted  and  the  ice  upon  the  great 
lake,  and  as  the  wolves  went  down  to  the  shore  the  boy 
went  after  them.  And  it  happened  one  day  that  his  big 
brother  was  fishing  in  his  canoe  near  the  shore,  and  he 
heard  the  voice  of  a  child  singing  in  the  Indian  tone : 

"  My  brother,  my  brother  ! 
I  am  becoming  a  wolf, 
I  am  becoming  a  wolf !  " 


148  THE   YELLOW   FAIKY   BOOK. 

'And  when  he  had  so  sung  he  howled  as  wolves  howl.  Then 
the  heart  of  the  elder  sank,  and  he  hastened  toward  him, 
crying :  "  Brother,  little  brother,  come  to  me  " ;  but  he,  be- 
ing half  a  wolf,  only  continued  his  song.  And  the  louder 
the  elder  called  him,  "  Brother,  little  brother,  come  to  me," 
the  swifter  he  fled  after  his  brothers  the  wolves  and  the 
heavier  grew  his  skin,  till,  with  a  long  howl,  he  vanished  into 
the  depths  of  the  forest. 

So,  with  shame  and  anguish  in  his  soul,  the  elder  brother 
went  back  to  his  village,  and  with  his  sister  mourned  the 
little  boy  and  the  broken  promise  till  the  end  of  his  life. 


THE  GLASS  AX* 

There  were  once  upon  a  time  a  king  and  queen  who  had 
everything  they  could  possibly  wish  for  in  this  world  except 
a  child.  At  last,  after  twelve  years,  the  queen  gave  birth 
to  a  son;  but  she  did  not  live  long  to  enjoy  her  happiness, 
for  on  the  following  day  she  died.  But  before  her  death 
she  called  her  husband  to  her  and  said :  "  Never  let  the 
child  put  his  feet  on  the  ground,  for  as  soon  as  he  does  so 
he  will  fall  into  the  power  of  a  wicked  fairy,  who  will  do 
him  much  harm."  And  these  were  the  last  words  the  poor 
queen  spoke. 

The  boy  throve  and  grew  big,  and  when  he  was  too  heavy 
for  his  nurse  to  carry,  a  chair  was  made  for  him  on 
little  wheels,  in  which  he  could  wander  through  the  palace 
gardens  without  help.  At  other  times  he  was  carried 
about  on  a  litter,  and  he  was  always  carefully  watched  and 
guarded,  for  fear  he  should  at  any  time  put  his  feet  to  the 
ground. 

But  as  this  sort  of  life  was  bad  for  his  health,  the  doctors 
ordered  him  horse  exercise,  and  he  soon  became  a  first-rate 
rider,  and  used  to  go  out  for  long  excursions  on  horseback, 
accompanied  always  by  his  father's  stud-groom  and  a  nu- 
merous retinue. 

Every  day  he  rode  through  the  neighboring  fields  and 
woods,  and  always  returned  home  in  the  evening  safe  and 
well.  In  this  way  many  years  passed,  and  the  prince  grew 
*From  the  Hungarian.  Kletke. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          149 

to  manhood,  and  hardly  anyone  remembered  the  queen's 
warning,  though  precautions  were  still  taken,  more  from 
use  and  wont  than  for  any  other  reason. 

One  day  the  prince  and  his  suite  went  out  for  a  ride  in  a 
wood  where  his  father  sometimes  held  a  hunt.  Their  way 
led  through  a  stream  whose  banks  were  overgrown  with 
thick  brushwood.  Just  as  the  horsemen  were  about  to  ford 
the  river,  a  hare,  startled  by  the  sound  of  the  horses'  hoofs, 
started  up  from  the  grass  and  ran  toward  the  thicket.  The 
young  prince  pursued  the  little  creature  and  had  almost 
overtaken  it,  when  the  girth  of  his  saddle  suddenly  broke 
in  two  and  he  fell  heavily  to  the  ground.  No  sooner  had 
his  foot  touched ,  the  earth  than  he  disappeared  before  the 
eyes  of  the  horrified  courtiers. 

They  sought  for  him  far  and  near,  but  all  in  vain,  and 
they  were  forced  to  recognize  the  power  of  the  evil  fairy 
against  which  the  queen  had  warned  them  on  her  death- 
bed. The  old  king  was  much  grieved  when  they  brought 
him  the  news  of  his  son's  disappearance,  but  as  he  could 
do  nothing  to  free  him  from  his  fate,  he  gave  himself  up 
to  an  old  age  of  grief  and  loneliness,  cherishing  at  the  same 
time  the  hope  that  some  lucky  chance  might  one  day  de- 
Aiver  the  youth  out  of  the  hands  of  his  enemy. 

Hardly  had  the  prince  touched  the  ground  than  he  felt 
himself  violently  seized  by  an  unseen  power  and  hurried 
away  he  knew  not  whither.  A  whole  new  world  stretched 
out  before  him,  quite  unlike  the  one  he  had  left.  A  splen- 
did castle  surrounded  by  a  huge  lake  was  the  abode  of  the 
fairy,  and  the  only  approach  to  it  was  over  a  bridge  of 
clouds.  On  the  other  side  of  the  lake  high  mountains  rose 
up  and  dark  woods  stretched  along  the  banks ;  over  all  hung 
a  thick  mist,  and  deep  silence  reigned  everywhere. 

No  sooner  had  the  fairy  reached  her  own  domain  than 
she  made  herself  visible,  and  turning  to  the  prince  she  told 
him  that,  unless  he  obeyed  all  her  comands  down  to  the 
minutest  detail,  he  would  be  severely  punished.  Then  she 
gave  him  an  ax  made  of  glass,  and  bade  him  cross  the 
bridge  of  clouds  and  go  up  into  the  wood  beyond  and  cut 
down  all  the  trees  there  before  sunset.  At  the  same  time 
she  .cautioned  him  with  many  angry  words  against  speaking 
to  a  black  girl  he  would  most  likely  meet  in  the  wood. 


150         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

The  prince  listened  to  her  words  meekly,  and  when  she 
had  finished  took  up  the  glass  ax  and  set  out  for  the  forest. 
At  every  step  he  seemed  to  sink  into  the  clouds,  but  fear 
gave  wings  to  his  feet,  and  he  crossed  the  lake  in  safety 
and  set  to  work  at  once. 

But  no  sooner  had  he  struck  the  first  blow  with  his  ax 
than  it  broke  into  a  thousand  pieces  against  a  tree.  The 
poor  youth  was  so  terrified  he  did  not  know  what  to  do, 
for  he  was  in  mortal  dread  of  the  punishment  the  wicked 
old  fairy  would  inflict  upon  him.  He  wandered  to  and  fro 
in  the  wood,  not  knowing  where  he  was  going,  and  at  last, 
worn  out  by  fatigue  and  misery,  he  sank  on  the  ground  and 
fell  fast  asleep. 

He  did  not  know  how  long  he  had  slept,  when  a  sudden 
sound  woke  him,  and  opening  his  eyes  he  saw  a  black  girl 
standing  beside  him.  Mindful  of  the  fairy's  warning  he 
did  not  dare  to  address  her,  but  she  on  her  part  greeted  him 
in  the  most  friendly  manner  and  asked  him  at  once  if  he 
were  under  the  power  of  the  wicked  fairy.  The  prince 
nodded  his  head  silently  in  answer. 

Then  the  black  girl  told  him  that  she  too  was  in  the 
power  of  the  fairy,  who  had  doomed  her  to  wander  about 
in  her  present  guise  until  some  youth  should  take  pity  on 
her  and  bear  her  in  safety  to  the  other  side  of  the  river 
which  they  saw  in  the  distance,  and  on  the  other  side  of 
which  the  fairy's  domain  and  power  ended. 

The  girl's  words  so  inspired  the  prince  with  confidence 
that  he  told  her  all  his  tale  of  woe,  and  ended  up  by  asking 
her  advice  as  to  how  he  was  to  escape  the  punishment  the 
fairy  would  be  sure  to  inflict  on  him  when  she  discovered 
that  he  had  not  cut  down  the  trees  in  the  wood  and  that  he 
had  broken  her  ax. 

"You  must  know,"  answered  the  black  girl,  "that  the 
fairy  in  whose  power  we  both  are  is  my  own  mother,  but 
you  must  not  betray  this  secret,  for  it  would  cost  me  my 
life.  If  you  will  only  promise  to  try  and  free  me  I  will 
stand  by  you  and  will  accomplish  for  you  all  the  tasks  which 
my  mother  sets  you." 

The  prince  promised  joyfully  all  she  asked;  then,  having 
once  more  warned  him  not  to  betray  her  confidence,  she 
"handed  him  a  draught  to  drink,  which  very  soon  sunk  his 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  151 

senses  in  a  deep  slumber.  His  astonishment  was  great  when 
he  awoke  to  find  the  glass  ax  whole  and  unbroken  at  his 
side  and  all  the  trees  of  the  wood  lying  felled  around  him ! 

He  made  all  haste  across  the  bridge  of  clouds  and  told  the 
fairy  that  her  commands  were  obeyed.  She  was  much 
amazed  when  she  heard  that  all  the  wood  was  cut  down  and 
saw  the  ax  unbroken  in  his  hand,  and  since  she  could  not 
believe  that  he  had  done  all  this  by  himself,  she  questioned 
him  narrowly  if  he  had  seen  or  spoken  to  the  black  girl. 
But  the  prince  lied  manfully  and  swore  he  had  never 
looked  up  from  his  work  for  a  moment.  Seeing  she  could 
get  nothing  more  out  of  him,  she  gave  him  a  little  bread 
and  water,  and  showing  him  to  a  small  dark  cupboard  she 
told  him  he  might  sleep  there. 

Morning  had  hardly  dawned  when  the  fairy  awoke  the 
prince,  and  giving  him  the  glass  ax  again  she  told  him  to  put 
it  in  bundles  ready  for  firewood;  at  the  same  time  she 
warned  him  once  more  against  approaching  or  speaking  a 
word  to  the  black  girl,  if  he  met  her  in  the  wood. 

Although  his  task  was  no  easier  than  that  of  the  day 
before,  the  youth  set  out  much  more  cheerfully,  because  he 
knew  he  could  count  on  the  help  of  the  black  girl.  With 
a  quicker  and  lighter  step  he  crossed  the  bridge  of  clouds, 
and  hardly  had  he  reached  the  other  side  than  his  friend 
stood  before  him  and  greeted  him  cheerfully.  When  she 
heard  what  the  fairy  demanded  this  time  she  answered 
smilingly :  "  Never  fear,"  and  handed  him  another  draught, 
which  very  soon  caused  the  prince  to  sink  into  a  deep 
sleep. 

When  he  awoke  everything  was  done.  All  the  trees  of 
the  wood  were  cut  up  into  firewood  and  arranged  in  bundles 
ready  for  use. 

He  returned  to  the  castle  as  quickly  as  he  could  and  told 
the  fairy  that  her  commands  were  obeyed.  She  was  even 
more  amazed  than  she  had  been  before,  and  asked  him 
again  if  he  had  either  seen  or  spoken  to  the  black  girl;  but 
the  prince  knew  better  than  to  betray  his  word,  and  once 
more  lied  freely. 

On  the  following  day  the  fairy  set  him  a  third  task  to  do, 
even  harder  than  the  other  two.  She  told  him  he  must 
build  a  castle  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  made  of  nothing 


152  THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK. 

but  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  unless  he  could 
accomplish  this  within  an  hour  the  most  frightful  doom 
awaited  him. 

The  prince  heard  her  words  without  anxiety,  so  entirely 
did  he  rely  on  the  help  of  his  black  friend.  Full  of  hope 
he  hurried  across  the  bridge,  and  recognized  at  once  the 
spot  where  the  castle  was  to  stand,  for  spades,  hammers, 
axes,  and  every  other  building  implement  lay  scattered  on 
the  ground  ready  for  the  workman's  hand,  but  of  gold, 
silver,  and  precious  stones  there  was  not  a  sign.  But  before 
the  prince  had  time  to  feel  despondent  the  black  girl  beck- 
oned to  him  in  the  distance  from  behind  a  rock,  where  she 
had  hidden  herself  for  fear  her  mother  should  catch  sight 
of  her.  Full  of  joy  the  youth  hurried  toward  her  and 
begged  her  aid  and  counsel  in  the  new  piece  of  work  he  had 
been  given  to  do. 

But  this  time  the  fairy  had  watched  the  prince's  move- 
ments from  her  window,  and  she  saw  him  hiding  himself 
behind  the  rock  with  her  daughter.  She  uttered  a  piercing 
shriek,  so  that  the  mountains  re-echoed  with  the  sound  of  it, 
and  the  terrified  pair  had  hardly  dared  to  look  out  from 
their  hiding-place  when  the  enraged  woman,  with  her 
dress  and  hair  flying  in  the  wind,  hurried  over  the  bridge 
of  clouds.  The  prince  at  once  gave  himself  up  for  lost,  but 
the  girl  told  him  to  be  of  good  courage  and  to  follow  her  as 
quickly  as  he  could.  But  before  they  left  their  shelter  she 
broke  off  a  little  bit  of  the  rock,  spoke  some  magic  words 
over  it,  and  threw  it  in  the  direction  her  mother  was  coming 
from.  In  a  moment  a  glittering  palace  arose  before  the 
eyes  of  the  fairy  which  blinded  her  with  its  dazzling  splen- 
dor, and  with  its  many  doors  and  passages  prevented  her 
for  some  time  from  finding  her  way  out  of  it. 

In  the  meantime  the  black  girl  hurried  on  with  the 
prince,  hastening  to  reach  the  river,  where,  once  on  the 
other  side,  they  would  forever  be  out  of  the  wicked  fairy's 
power.  But  before  they  had  accomplished  half  the  way 
they  heard  again  the  rustle  of  her  garments  and  her  mut- 
tered curses  pursuing  them  closely. 

The  prince  was  terrified;  he  dared  not  look  back  and  he 
felt  his  strength  giving  way.  But  before  he  had  time  to 
despair  the  girl  uttered  some  more  magic  words,  and  im- 


The  Black  Girl  Stops  the  Witch  with  a  Bit  of  Book. 


154         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

mediately  she  herself  was  changed  into  a  pond  and  the 
prince  into  a  duck  swimming  on  its  surface. 

When  the  fairy  saw  this  her  rage  knew  no  bounds,  and 
she  used  all  her  magic  wits  to  make  the  pond  disappear. 
She  caused  a  hill  of  sand  to  rise  at  her  feet,  meaning  it  to 
dry  up  the  water  at  once.  But  the  sand-hill  only  drove  the 
pond  a  little  further  away,  and  its  waters  seemed  to  increase 
instead  of  diminishing.  When  the  old  woman  saw  that  the 
powers  of  her  magic  were  of  so  little  avail  she  had  recourse 
to  cunning.  She  threw  a  lot  of  gold  nuts  into  the  pond, 
hoping  in  this  way  to  catch  the  duck,  but  all  her  efforts 
were  fruitless,  for  the  little  creature  refused  to  let  itself  be 
caught. 

Then  a  new  idea  struck  the  wicked  old  woman,  and,  hid- 
ing herself  behind  the  rock  which  had  sheltered  the  fugi- 
tives, she  waited  behind  it,  watching  carefully  for  the 
moment  when  the  prince  and  her  daughter  should  resume 
their  natural  forms  and  continue  their  journey. 

She  had  not  to  wait  long,  for  as  soon  as  the  girl  thought 
her  mother  was  safely  out  of  the  way  she  changed  herself 
and  the  prince  once  more  into  their  human  shape  and  set 
out  cheerfully  for  the  river. 

But  they  had  not  gone  many  steps  when  the  wicked  fairy 
hurried  after  them,  a  drawn  dagger  in  her  hand,  and  was 
close  upon  them,  when  suddenly,  instead  of  the  prince  and 
her  daughter,  she  found  herself  in  front  of  a  great  stone 
church,  whose  entrance  was  carefully  guarded  by  a  huge 
monk. 

Breathless  with  rage  and  passion,  she  tried  to  plunge  her 
dagger  into  the  monk's  heart,  but  it  fell  shattered  in  pieces 
at  her  feet.  In  her  desperation  she  determined  to  pull 
down  the  church  and  thus  to  destroy  her  two  victims  for- 
ever. She  stamped  three  times  on  the  ground  and  the  earth 
trembled,  and  both  the  church  and  the  monk  began  to 
shake.  As  soon  as  the  fairy  saw  this  she  retreated  to  some 
distance  from  the  building,  so  as  not  to  hurt  herself  by  its 
fall.  But  once  more  her  scheme  was  doomed  to  failure,  for 
hardly  had  she  gone  a  yard  from  the  church  than  both  it 
and  the  monk  disappeared,  and  she  found  herself  in  a  wood 
black  as  night  and  full  of  wolves  and  bears  and  wild  ani- 
mals of  all  sorts  and  descriptions. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


155 


Then  her  wrath  gave  place  to  terror,  for  she  feared  every 
moment  to  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  beasts,  who  one  and  all 
seemed  to  defy  her  power.  She  thought  it  wisest  to  make 
her  way  as  best  she  could  out  of  the  forest,  and  then  to  pur- 
sue the  fugitives  once  more  and  accomplish  their  destruction 
either  by  force  or  cunning. 

In  the  meantime  the  prince  and  the  black  girl  had  again 
assumed  their  natural  forms,  and  were  hurrying  on  as  fast 
as  they  could  to  reach  the  river.  But  when  they  got  there 
they  found  that  there  was  no  way  in  which  they  could  cross 


"  The  waters  seized  her  chariot  and  sunk  it  in  the  lowest  depths." 

it,  and  the  girl's  magic  art  seemed  no  longer  to  have  any 
power.  Then,  turning  to  the  prince,  she  said :  "  The  hour 
for  my  deliverance  has  not  yet  come,  but  as  you  promised 
to  do  all  you  could  to  free  me,  you  must  do  exactly  as  I  bid 
you  now.  Take  this  bow  and  arrow  and  kill  every  beast 
you  see  with  them,  and  be  sure  you  spare  no  living 
creature." 

With  these  words   she   disappeared,  and  hardly  had  she 
done  so  than  a  huge  wild  boar  started  out  of  the  thicket 


156  THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

near  and  made  straight  for  the  prince.  But  the  youth  did 
not  lose  his  presence  of  mind,  and  drawing  his  bow  he 
pierced  the  beast  with  his  arrow  right  through  the  skull. 
The  creature  fell  heavily  on  the  ground,  and  out  of  its  side 
sprang  a  little  hare,  which  ran  like  the  wind  along  the  river 
bank.  The  prince  drew  his  bow  once  more,  and  the  hare 
lay  dead  at  his  feet;  but  at  the  same  moment  a  dove  rose  up 
in  the  air  and  circled  round  the  prince's  head  in  the  most 
confiding  manner.  But,  mindful  of  the  black  girl's  com- 
mands, he  dared  not  spare  the  little  creature's  life,  and  tak- 
ing another  arrow  from  his  quiver  he  laid  it  as  dead  as  the 
boar  and  the  hare.  But  when  he  went  to  look  at  the  body 
of  the  bird  he  found,  instead  of  the  dove,  a  round  white  egg 
lying  on  the  ground. 

While  he  was  gazing  on  it  and  wondering  what  it  could 
mean  he  heard  the  sweeping  of  wings  above  him,  and  look- 
ing up  he  saw  a  huge  vulture  with  open  claws  swooping 
down  upon  him.  In  a  moment  he  seized  the  egg  and  flung 
it  at  the  bird  with  all  his  might,  and  lo  and  behold!  instead 
of  the  ugly  monster  the  most  beautiful  girl  he  had  ever 
seen  stood  before  the  astonished  eyes  of  the  prince. 

But  while  all  .this  was  going  on  the  wicked  old  fairy  had 
managed  to  make  her  way  out  of  the  wood,  and  was  now 
using  the  last  resource  in  her  power  to  overtake  her  daugh- 
ter and  the  prince.  As  soon  as  she  was  in  the  open  again 
she  mounted  her  chariot,  which  was  drawn  by  a  fiery 
dragon,  and  flew  through  the  air  in  it.  But  just  as  she  got 
to  the  river  she  saw  the  two  lovers  in  each  other's  arms, 
swimming  through  the  water  as  easily  as  two  fishes. 

Quick  as  lightning  and  forgetful  of  every  danger  she  flew 
down  upon  them.  But  the  waters  seized  her  chariot  and 
sunk  it  in  the  lowest  depths,  and  the  waves  bore  the  wicked 
old  woman  down  the  stream  till  she  was  caught  in  some 
thorn  bushes,  where  she  made  a  good  meal  for  all  the  little 
fishes  that  were  swimming  about. 

And  so  at  last  the  prince  and  his  lovely  bride  were  free. 
They  hurried  as  quickly  as  they  could  to  the  old  king,  who 
received  them  with  joy  and  gladness.  On  the  following 
day  a  most  gorgeous  wedding  feast  was  held,  and  as  far  as 
we  know  the  prince  and  his  bride  lived  happily  forever 
afterward. 


THE   YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK.  157 


THE  DEAD  WIFE  * 

Once  upon  a  time  there  were  a  man  and  his  wife  who 
lived  in  the  forest  far  from  the  rest  of  the  tribe.  Very  often 
they  spent  the  day  in  hunting  together,  but  after  a  while  the 
wife  found  that  she  had  so  many  things  to  do  that  she  was 
obliged  to  stay  at  home;  so  he  went  alone,  though  he 
found  that  when  his  wife  was  not  with  him  he  never  had 
any  luck.  One  day,  when  he  was  away  hunting,  the 
woman  fell  ill,  and  in  a  few  days  she  died.  Her  husband 
grieved  bitterly,  and  buried  her  in  the  house  where  she  had 
passed  her  life;  but  as  the  time  went  on  he  felt  so  lonely 
without  her  that  he  made  a  wooden  doll  about  her  height 
and  size  for  company  and  dressed  it  in  her  clothes.  He 
seated  it  in  front  of  the  fire  and  tried  to  think  that  he  had  his 
wife  back  again.  The  next  day  he  went  out  to  hunt,  and 
when  he  came  home  the  first  thing  he  did  was  to  go  up  to 
the  doll  and  brush  off  some  of  the  ashes  from  the  fire  which 
had  fallen  on  its  face.  But  he  was  very  busy  now,  for  he 
had  to  cook  and  mend,  besides  getting  food,  for  there  was 
no  one  to  help  him.  And  so  a  whole  year  passed  away. 

At  the  end  of  that  time  he  came  back  from  hunting  one 
night  and  found  some  wood  by  the  door  and  a  fire  within. 
The  next  night  there  was  not  only  wood  and  fire,  but  a 
piece  of  meat  in  the  kettle,  nearly  ready  for  eating.  He 
searched  all  about  to  see  who  could  have  done  this,  but 
could  find  no  one.  The  next  time  he  went  to  hunt  he  took 
care  not  to  go  far  and  came  in  quite  early.  And  while  he 
was  still  a  long  way  off  he  saw  a  woman  going  into  the 
house  with  wood  on  her  shoulders.  So  he  made  haste  and 
opened  the  door  quickly,  and  instead  of  the  wooden  doll 
his  wife  sat  in  front  of  the  fire.  Then  she  spoke  to  him 
and  said: 

"  The  Great  Spirit  felt  sorry  for  you  because  you  would 
not  be  comforted,  so  he  let  me  come  back  to  you,  but  you 
must  not  stretch  out  your  hand  to  touch  me  till  we  have 
seen  the  rest  of  our  people.  If  you  do  I  shall  die." 

So  the  man  listened  to  her  words,  and  the  woman  dwelt 

*From  the  Iroquois. 


158 


THE    YELLOW    FAIEY    BOOK. 


there  and  brought  the  wood  and  kindled  the  fire,  till  one 
day  her  husband  said  to  her: 

"  It  is  now  two  years  since  you  died.  Let  us  now  go  back 
to  our  tribe.  Then  you  will  be  well  and  I  can  touch  you." 

And  with  that  he  prepared  food  for  the  journey,  a  string 


Indian  fate  Xis  uife  sittlngbj  the  pre 


of  deer's  flesh  for  her  to  carry  and  one  for  himself;  and  so 
they  started.  Now,  the  camp  of  the  tribe  was  distant  six 
days'  journey,  and  when  they  were  yet  one  day's  journey 
off  it  began  to  snow,  and  they  felt  weary  and  longed  for 


THE    YELLOW    FAIEY   BOOK.  159 

rest.     Therefore  they  made  a  fire,  cooked  some  food,  and 
spread  out  their  skins  to  sleep. 

Then  the  heart  of  the  man  was  greatly  stirred  and  he 
stretched  out  his  arms  to  his  wife,  but  she  waved  her  hands 
and  said: 

"  We  have  seen  no  one  yet.  It  is  too  soon." 
But  he  would  not  listen  to  her,  and  caught  her  to  him, 
and  behold  he  was  clasping  the  wooden  doll.  And  when 
he  saw  it  was  the  doll  he  pushed  it  from  him  in  his  misery 
and  rushed  away  to  the  camp  and  told  them  all  his  story. 
And  some  doubted,  and  they  went  back  with  him  to  the 
place  where  he  and  his  wife  had  stopped  to  rest,  and  there 
lay  the  doll;  and,  besides,  they  saw  in  the  snow  the  steps 
of  two  people,  and  the  foot  of  one  was  like  the  foot  of  the 
doll.  And  the  man  grieved  sore  all  the  days  of  his  life. 


IN  THE  LAND  OF  SOULS  * 

Far  away  in  North  America,  where  the  red  Indians 
dwell,  there  lived  a  long  time  ago  a  beautiful  maiden  who 
was  lovelier  than  any  other  girl  in  the  whole  tribe.  Many 
of  the  young  braves  sought  her  in  marriage,  but  she  would 
listen  to  one  only — a  handsome  chief  who  had  taken  her 
fancy  some  years  before.  So  they  were  to  be  married,  and 
great  rejoicings  were  made,  and  the  two  looked  forward  to 
a  long  life  of  happiness  together,  when  the  very  night  be- 
fore the  wedding-feast  a  sudden  illness  seized  the  girl,  and 
without  a  word  to  her  friends  who  were  weeping  round 
her  she  silently  passed  away. 

The  heart  of  her  lover  had  been  set  upon  her,  and  the 
thought  of  her  remained  with  him  night  and  day.  He  put 
aside  his  bow  and  went  neither  to  fight  nor  to  hunt,  but  from 
sunrise  to  sunset  he  sat  by  the  place  where  she  was  laid, 
thinking  of  his  happiness  that  was  buried  there.  At  last, 
after  many  days,  a  light  seemed  to  come  to  him  out  of  the 
darkness.  He  remembered  having  heard  from  the  old,  old 
people  of  the  tribe  that  there  was  a  path  that  led  to  the 
Land  of  Souls — that  if  you  sought  carefully  you  could 
find  it. 

*  From  the  red  Indian. 


160         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

So  the  next  morning  he  got  up  early  and  put  iome  food 
in  his  pouch,  and  slung  an  extra  skin  over  his  shoulders, 
for  he  knew  not  how  long  his  journey  would  take  nor 
what  sort  of  country  he  would  have  to  go  through.  Only 
one  thing  he  knew,  that  if  the  path  was  there  he  would 
find  it.  At  first  he  was  puzzled,  as  there  seemed  no  reason 
he  should  go  in  one  direction  more  than  another.  Then 
all  at  once  he  thought  he  had  heard  one  of  the  old  men  say 
that  the  Land  of  Souls  lay  to  the  south,  and  so,  filled  with 
new  hope  and  courage,  he  set  his  face  southward.  For 
many,  many  miles  the  country  looked  the  same  as  it 
did  round  his  own  home.  The  forests,  the  hills,  and  the 
rivers  all  seemed  exactly  like  the  ones  he  had  left.  The 
only  thing  that  was  different  was  the  snow,  which  had  lain 
thick  upon  the  hills  and  trees  when  he  started,  but  grew 
less  and  less  the  further  he  went  south,  till  it  disappeared 
altogether.  Soon  the  trees  put  forth  their  buds,  and  flowers 
sprang  up  under  his  feet,  and  instead  of  thick  clouds  there 
was  blue  sky  over  his  head,  and  everywhere  the  birds  were 
singing.  Then  he  knew  that  he  was  in  the  right  road. 

The  thought  that  he  should  soon  behold  his  lost  bride 
made  his  heart  beat  with  joy,  and  he  sped  along  lightly  and 
swiftly.  Now,  his  way  led  through  a  dark  wood  and  then 
over  some  steep  cliffs,  and  on  the  top  of  these  he  found  a 
hut  or  wigwam.  An  old  man  clothed  in  skins  and  holding 
a  staff  in  his  hand,  stood  in  the  doorway,  and  he  said  to  the 
young  chief,  who  was  beginning  to  tell  his  story: 

"  I  was  waiting  for  you.  Wherefore  you  have  come  I 
know.  It  is  but  a  short  while  since  she  whom  you  seek 
was  here.  Rest  in  my  hut,  as  she  also  rested,  and  I  will 
tell  you  what  you  ask  and  whither  you  should  go." 

On  hearing  these  words  the  young  man  entered  the 
hut,  but  his  heart  was  too  eager  within  him  to  suffer  him 
to  rest,  and  when  he  arose  the  old  man  rose  too  and  stood 
with  him  at  the  door. 

"  Look,"  he  said,  "  at  the  water  which  lies  far  out  yonder 
and  the  plains  which  stretch  beyond.  That  is  the  Land 
of  Souls,  but  no  man  enters  it  without  leaving  his  body 
behind  him.  So  lay  down  your  body  here,  your  bow  and 
arrows,  your  skin  and  your  dog.  They  shall  be  kept  for 
you  safely." 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  161 

Then  he  turned  away,  and  the  young  chief,  light  as  air, 
seemed  hardly  to  touch  the  ground;  and  as  he  flew  along 
the  scents  grew  sweeter  and  the  flowers  more  beautiful, 
while  the  animals  rubbed  their  noses  against  him,  instead 
of  hiding  as  he  approached,  and  birds  circled  round  him, 
and  fishes  lifted  up  their  heads  and  looked  as  he  went  by. 
Very  soon  he  noticed  with  wonder  that  neither  rocks  nor 
trees  barred  his  path.  He  passed  through  them  without 
knowing  it,  for  indeed  they  were  not  rocks  and  trees  at  all, 
but  only  the  souls  of  them ;  for  this  was  the  Land  of  Shadows. 

So  he  went  on  with  winged  feet  till  he  came  to  the 
shores  of  a  great  lake  with  a  lovely  island  in  the  middle  of 
it;  while  on  the  bank  of  the  lake  was  a  canoe  of  glittering 
stone,  and  in  the  canoe  were  two  shining  paddles. 

The  chief  jumped  straight  into  the  canoe,  and  seizing 
the  paddles  pushed  off  from  the  shore,  when  to  his  joy  and 
wonder  he  saw  following  him,  in  another  canoe  exactly  like 
his  own,  the  maiden  for  whose  sake  he  had  made  this  long 
journey.  But  they  could  not  touch  each  other,  for  be- 
tween them  rolled  great  waves,  which  looked  as  if  they 
would  sink  the  boats,  yet  never  did.  And  the  young  man 
and  the  maiden  sank  with  fear,  for  down  in  the  depths 
of  the  water  they  saw  the  bones  of  those  who  had  died 
before,  and  in  the  waves  themselves  men  and  women  were 
struggling,  and  but  few  passed  over.  Only  the  children 
had  no  fear  and  reached  the  other  side  in  safety.  Still, 
though  the  chief  and  the  young  girl  quailed  in  terror  at 
these  horrible  sights  and  sounds,  no  harm  came  to  them, 
for  their  lives  had  been  free  from  evil,  and  the  Master  of 
Life  had  said  that  no  evil  should  happen  unto  them.  So 
they  reached  unhurt  the  shore  of  the  Happy  Island  and 
wandered  through  the  flowery  fields  and  by  the  banks 
of  rushing  streams,  and  they  knew  not  hunger  nor  thirst; 
neither  cold  nor  heat.  The  air  fed  them  and  the  sun 
warmed  them,  and  they  forgot  the  dead,  for  they  saw  no 
graves,  and  the  young  man's  thoughts  turned  not  to  wars, 
neither  to  the  hunting  of  animals.  And  gladly  would  these 
two  have  walked  thus  forever,  but  in  the  murmur  of  the 
wind  he  heard  the  Master  of  Life  saying  to  him: 

"Return  whither  you  came,  for  I  have  work  for  you  to 
do  and  your  people  need  you,  and  for  many  years  you  shall 


162         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

rule  over  them.  At  the  gate  my  messenger  awaits  you, 
and  you  will  take  again  your  body  which  you  left  behind, 
and  he  will  show  you  what  you  are  to  do.  Listen  to  him 
and  have  patience,  and  in  time  to  come  you  shall  rejoin 
her  whom  you  must  now  leave,  for  she  is  accepted  and  will 
remain  ever  young  and  beautiful  as  when  I  called  her  hence 
from  the  Land  of  Snows." 


THE  WHITE  DUCK. 

Once  upon  a  time  a  great  and  powerful  king  married 
a  lovely  princess.  No  couple  were  ever  so  happy;  but  be- 
fore their  honeymoon  was  over  they  were  forced  to  part, 
for  the  king  had  to  go  on  a  warlike  expedition  to  a  far 
country  and  leave  his  young  wife  alone  at  home.  Bitter 
were  the  tears  she  shed,  while  her  husband  sought  in  vain 
to  soothe  her  with  words  of  comfort  and  counsel,  warning 
her,  above  all  things,  never  to  leave  the  castle,  to  hold  no 
intercourse  with  strangers,  to  beware  of  evil  counselors, 
and  especially  to  be  on  her  guard  against  strange  women. 
And  the  queen  promised  faithfully  to  obey  her  royal  lord 
and  master  in  these  four  matters. 

So  when  the  king  set  out  on  his  expedition  she  shut  her- 
self up  with  her  ladies  in  her  own  apartments,  and  spent 
her  time  in  spinning  and  weaving  and  in  thinking  of  her 
royal  husband.  Often  she  was  very  sad  and  lonely,  and  it 
happened  that  one  day  while  she  was  seated  at  the  window, 
letting  salt  tears  drop  on  her  work,  an  old  woman,  a  kind, 
homely  looking  old  body,  stepped  up  to  the  window  and, 
leaning  upon  her  crutch,  addressed  the  queen  in  friendly, 
flattering  tones,  saying: 

"  Why  are  you  sad  and  cast  down,  fair  queen  ?  You 
should  not  mope  all  day  in  your  rooms,  but  should  come 
out  into  the  green  gardens  and  hear  the  birds  sing  with  joy 
among  the  trees,  and  see  the  butterflies  fluttering  above  the 
flowers,  and  hear  the  bees  and  insects  hum,  and  watch  the 
sunbeams  chase  the  dew-drops  through  the  rose-leaves  and 
in  the  lily-cups.  All  the  brightness  outside  would  help  to 
drive  away  your  cares,  O  queen." 

For  long  the  queen  resisted  her  coaxing  words,  remem- 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          163 

bering  the  promise  she  had  given  the  king  her  husband; 
but  at  last  she  thought  to  herself,  "After  all,  what  harm 
would  it  do  if  I  were  to  go  into  the  garden  for  a  short  time 
and  enjoy  myself  among  the  trees  and  flowers,  and  the 
singing  birds  and  fluttering  butterflies  and  humming  in- 
sects, and  look  at  the  dew-drops  hiding  from  the  sun- 
beams in  the  hearts  of  the  roses  and  lilies,  and  wander 
about  in  the  sunshine,  instead  of  remaining'  all  day  in  this 
room  ? "  For  she  had  no  idea  that  the  kind-looking  old 
woman  leaning  on  her  crutch  was  in  reality  a  wicked  witch 
who  envied  the  queen  her  good  fortune  and  was  determined 
to  ruin  her.  And  so,  in  all  ignorance,  the  queen  followed 
her  out  into  the  garden  and  listened  to  her  smooth,  flatter- 
ing words.  Now,  in  the  middle  of  the  garden  there  was  a 
pond  of  water,  clear  as  crystal,  and  the  old  woman  said  to 
the  queen: 

"  The  day  is  so  warm  and  the  sun's  rays  so  scorching 
that  the  water  in  the  pond  looks  very  cool  and  inviting. 
Would  you  not  like  to  bathe  in  it,  fair  queen  ? " 

"  No,  I  think  not,"  answered  the  queen ;  but  the  next 
moment  she  regretted  her  words  and  thought  to  herself, 
"  Why  shouldn't  I  bathe  in  that  cool  fresh  water  ?  No  harm 
could  come  of  it."  And  so  saying  she  slipped  off  her  robes 
and  stepped  into  the  water.  But  scarcely  had  her  tender 
feet  touched  the  cool  ripples  when  she  felt  a  great  shove  on 
her  shoulders,  and  the  wicked  witch  had  pushed  her  into 
the  deep  water,  exclaiming: 

"  Swim  henceforth,  white  duck !  " 

And  the  witch  herself  assumed  the  form  of  the  queen, 
and  decked  herself  out  in  the  royal  robes,  and  sat  among 
the  court  ladies  awaiting  the  king's  return.  And  suddenly 
the  tramp  of  horses'  hoofs  was  heard  and  the  barking  of 
dogs,  and  the  witch  hastened  forward  to  meet  the  royal 
carriage,  and,  throwing  her  arms  around  the  king's  neck, 
kissed  him.  And  in  his  great  joy  the  king  did  not  know 
that  the  woman  he  held  in  his  arms  was  not  his  own  dear 
wife,  but  a  wicked  witch. 

In  the  meantime,  outside  the  palace  walls  the  poor  white 
duck  swam  up  and  down  the  pond;  and  near  it  laid  three 
eggs,  out  of  which  there  came  one  morning  two  little  fluffy 
ducklings  and  a  little  ugly  drake.  And  the  white  duck 


The  Witch  Persuades  the  Queen  to  Bathe. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.         165 

brought  the  little  creatures  up,  and  they  paddled  after  her 
in  the  pond  and  caught  gold-fish,  and  hopped  upon  the  bank 
and  waddled  about,  ruffling  their  feathers  and  saying 
"  Quack,  quack,"  as  they  strutted  about  on  the  green  banks 
of  the  pond.  But  their  mother  used  to  warn  them  not  to 
stray  too  far,  telling  them  that  a  wicked  witch  lived  in  the 
castle  beyond  the  garden,  adding :  "  She  has  ruined  me  and 
she  will  do  her  best  to  ruin  you."  But  the  young  ones  did 
not  listen  to  their  mother,  and  playing  about  the  garden  one 
day  they  strayed  close  up  to  the  castle  windows.  The 
witch  at  once  recognized  them  by  their  smell,  and  ground 
her  teeth  with  anger;  but  she  hid  her  feelings,  and  pre- 
tending to  be  very  kind  she  called  them  to  her  and  joked 
with  them,  and  led  them  into  a  beautiful  room,  where  she 
gave  them  food  to  eat  and  showed  them  a  soft  cushion  on 
which  they  might  sleep.  Then  she  left  them  and  went  down 
into  the  palace  kitchens,  where  she  told  the  servants  to 
sharpen  the  knives,  and  to  make  a  great  fire  ready  and  hang 
a  large  kettle,  full  of  water,  over  it. 

In  the  meantime  the  two  little  ducklings  had  fallen 
asleep,  and  the  little  drake  lay  between  them,  covered  up 
by  their  wings,  to  be  kept  warm  under  their  feathers.  But 
the  little  drake  could  not  go  to  sleep,  and  as  he  lay  there 
wide  awake  in  the  night  he  heard  the  witch  come  to  the  door 
and  say: 

"  Little  ones,  are  you  asleep  ?  " 

And  the  little  drake  answered  for  the  other  two: 

"  We  cannot  sleep,  we  wake  and  weep  ; 
Sharp  is  the  knife  to  take  our  life  ; 
The  fire  is  hot,  now  boils  the  pot, 
And  so  we  wake  and  lie  and  quake." 

"  They  are  not  asleep  yet,"  muttered  the  witch  to  her- 
self;  and  she  walked  up  and  down  in  the  passage,  and  then 
came  back  to  the  door  and  said: 

"Little  ones,  are  you  asleep?" 

And  again  the  little  drake  answered  for  his  sisters: 

"  We  cannot  sleep,  we  wake  and  weep ; 
Sharp  is  the  knife  to  take  our  life  ; 
The  fire  is  hot,  now  boils  the  pot, 
And  so  we  wake  and  lie  and  quake." 

"Just  the  same  answer,"  muttered  the  witch.     "I  think 


166 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


I'll  go  in  and  see."  So  she  opened  the  door  gently,  and 
seeing  the  two  little  ducklings  sound  asleep,  she  there  and 
then  killed  them. 

The  next  morning   the  white  duck  wandered  round  the 


The  King  Catches  the  White  Duck. 

pond  in  a  distracted  manner,  looking  for  her  little  ones; 
she  called  and  she  searched,  but  could  find  no  trace  of 
them.  And  in  her  heart  she  had  a  foreboding  that  evil 


THE    YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK.  167 

had  befallen  them,  and  she  fluttered  up  out  of  the  water 
and  flew  to  the  palace.  And  there,  laid  out  on  the  marble 
floor  of  the  court,  dead  and  stone-cold,  were  her  three  chil- 
dren. The  white  duck  threw  herself  upon  them,  and  cover- 
ing up  their  little  bodies  with  her  wings  she  cried: 

"  Quack,  quack — my  little  loves  ! 
Quack,  quack — my  turtle-doves  ! 
I  brought  you  up  with  grief  and  pain, 
And  now  before  my  eyes  you're  slain. 
I  gave  you  always  of  the  best ; 
I  kept  you  warm  in  my  soft  nest. 
I  loved  and  watched  you  day  and  night — 
You  were  my  joy,  my  one  delight." 

The  king  heard  the  sad  complaint  of  the  white  duck  and 
called  to  the  witch :  "  Wife,  what  a  wonder  is  this  ?  Listen 
to  that  white  duck." 

But  the  witch  answered :  "  My  dear  husband,  what  do 
you  mean?  There  is  nothing  wonderful  in  a  duck's  quack- 
ing. Here,  servants!  Chase  that  duck  out  of  the  court- 
yard." But  though  the  servants  chased  and  chivied,  they 
could  not  get  rid  of  the  duck;  for  she  circled  round  and 
round  and  always  came  back  to  the  spot  where  her  children 
lay,  crying : 

"  Quack,  quack — my  little  loves  ! 
Quack,  quack — my  turtle-doves  ! 
The  wicked  witch  your  lives  did  take — 
The  wicked  witch,  the  cunning  snake. 
First  she  stole  my  king  away, 
Then  my  children  did  she  slay. 
Changed  me  from  a  happy  wife 
To  a  duck  for  all  my  life. 
Would  I  were  the  queen  again  ; 
Would  that  you  had  ne'er  been  slain." 

And  as  the  king  heard  her  words  he  began  to  suspect 
that  he  had  been  deceived,  and  he  called  out  to  the  serv- 
ants :  "  Cateh  that  duck  and  bring  it  here."  But  though 
they  ran  to  and  fro  the  duck  always  fled  past  them  and 
would  not  let  herself  be  caught.  So  the  king  himself 
stepped  down  among  them,  and  instantly  the  duck  fluttered 
down  into  his  hands.  An4  as  he  stroked  her  wings  she 
was  changed  into  a  beautiful  woman,  and  he  recognized  his 
dear  wife.  And  she  told  him  that  a  bottle  would  be  found 
in  her  nest  in  the  garden,  containing  some  drops  from  the 


168         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

.spring  of  healing.  And  it  was  brought  to  her,  and  the 
ducklings  and  the  little  drake  were  sprinkled  with  the 
water,  and  from  the  little  dead  bodies  three  lovely  children 
arose.  And  the  king  and  queen  were  overjoyed  when  they 
saw  their  children,  and  they  all  lived  happily  together  in 
the  beautiful  palace.  But  the  wicked  witch  was  taken  by 
the  king's  command,  and  she  came  to  no  good  end. 


THE  WITCH  AND  HER  SERVANTS  * 

A  long  time  ago  there  lived  a  king  who  had  three  sons; 
the  eldest  was  called  Szabo,  the  second  Warza,  and  the 
youngest  Iwanich. 

One  beautiful  spring  morning  the  king  was  walking 
through  his  gardens  with  these  three  sons,  gazing  with 
admiration  at  the  various  fruit-trees,  some  of  which  were 
a  mass  of  blossom,  while  others  were  bowed  to  the  ground 
laden  with  rich  fruit.  During  their  wanderings  they 
came  unperceived  on  a  piece  of  waste  land  where  three 
splendid  trees  grew.  The  king  looked  on  them  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then,  shaking  his  head  sadly,  he  passed  on  in 
silence. 

The  sons,  who  could  not  understand  why  he  did  this, 
asked  him  the  reason  of  his  dejection,  and  the  king  told  them 
.  as  follows : 

"  These  three  trees,  which  I  cannot  see  without  sorrow, 
were  planted  by  me  on  this  spot  when  I  was  a  youth  of 
twenty.  A  celebrated  magician,  who  had  given  the  seed 
to  my  father,  promised  him  that  they  would  grow  into  the 
three  finest  trees  the  world  had  ever  seen.  My  father  did 
not  live  to  see  his  words  come  true,  but  on  his  death-bed 
he  bade  me  transplant  them  here  and  to  look  after  them  with 
the  greatest  care,  which  I  accordingly  did.  At  last,  after 
the  lapse  of  five  long  years,  I  noticed  some  blossoms  on  the 
branches,  and  a  few  days  later  the  most  exquisite  fruit  my 
eyes  had  ever  seen. 

"  I  gave  my  head  gardener  the  strictest  orders  to  watch 
the  trees  carefully,  for  the  magician  hsd  warned  my  father 
that  if  one  unripe  fruit  were  plucked  from  the  tree  all  the 
*  From  the  Russian.  Kletke, 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          169 

rest  would  become  rotten  at  once.    When  it  was  quite  ripe 
the  fruit  would  become  a  golden  yellow. 

"  Every  day  I  gazed  on  the  lovely  fruit,  which  became 
gradually  more  and  more  tempting-looking,  and  it  was  all 
I  could  do  not  to  break  the  magician's  commands. 

"  One  night  I  dreamed  that  the  fruit  was  perfectly  ripe. 
I  ate  some  of  it,  and  it  was  more  delicious  than  anything 
I  had  ever  tasted  in  real  life.  As  soon  as  I  awoke  I  sent 
for  the  gardener  and  asked  him  if  the  fruit  on  the  trees 
had  not  ripened  in  the  night  to  perfection. 

"  But  instead  of  replying,  the  gardener  threw  himself 
at  my  feet  and  swore  that  he  was  innocent.  He  said  that  he 
had  watched  by  the  trees  all  night,  but  in  spite  of  it,  and 
as  if  by  magic,  the  beautiful  trees  had  been  robbed  of  all 
their  fruit. 

"  Grieved  as  I  was  over  the  theft,  I  did  not  punish  the 
gardener,  of  whose  fidelity  I  was  well  assured,  but  I  deter- 
mined to  pluck  off  all  the  fruit  the  following  year  before 
it  was  ripe,  as  I  had  not  much  belief  in  the  magician's 
warning. 

"  I  carried  out  my  intentions  and  had  all  the  fruit  picked 
off  the  tree,  but  when  I  tasted  one  of  the  apples  it  was 
bitter  and  unpleasant,  and  the  next  morning  the  rest  of  the 
fruit  had  all  rotted  away. 

"  After  this  I  had  the  beautiful  fruit  of  these  trees  care- 
fully guarded  by  my  most  faithful  servants;  but  every  year, 
on  this  very  night,  the  fruit  was  plucked  and  stolen  by  an 
invisible  hand,  and  next  morning  not  a  single  apple  re- 
mained on  the  trees.  For  some  time  past  I  have  given 
up  even  having  the  trees  watched." 

When  the  king  had  finished  his  story,  Szabo,  his  eldest 
son,  said  to  him :  "  Forgive  me,  father,  if  I  say  I  think 
you  are  mistaken.  I  am  sure  there  are  many  men  in  your 
kingdom  who  could  protect  these  trees  from  the  cunning 
arts  of  a  thieving  magician.  I,  myself,  who  as  your  eldest 
son  claim  the  first  right  to  do  so,  will  mount  guard  over 
the  fruit  this  very  night." 

The  king  consented,  and  as  soon  as  evening  drew  on 
Szabo  climbed  up  on  to  one  of  the  trees,  determined  to 
protect  the  fruit  even  if  it  cost  him  his  life.  So  he  kept 
watch  half  the  night;  but  a  little  after  midnight  he  was 


170 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


overcome  by  an  irresistible  drowsiness  and  fell  fast  asleep. 
He  did  not  awake  until  it  was  bright  daylight,  and  all  the 
fruit  on  the  trees  had  vanished. 

The  following  year  Warza,  the  second  brother,  tried  his 
luck,  but  with  the  same  result.  Then  it  came  to  the  turn 
of  the  third  and  youngest  son. 

Iwanich  was  not  the  least  discouraged  by  the  failure  of 


Iris  elder  brothers,  though  they  were  both  much  older  and 
stronger  than  he  was,  and  when  night  came  climbed  up 
tha  tree  as  they  had  done.  The  moon  had  risen,  and  with 
her  soft  light  lit  up  the  whole  neighborhood,  so  that  the 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         171 

observant  prince  could  distinguish  the  smallest  object  dis- 
tinctly. 

At  midnight  a  gentle  west  wind  shook  the  tree,  and  at 
the  same  moment  a  snow-white,  swan-like  bird  sank  down 
gently  on  his  breast.  The  prince  hastily  seized  the  bird's 
wings  in  his  hands,  when  lo!  to  his  astonishment  he  found 
he  was  holding  in  his  arms  not  a  bird,  but  the  most  beauti- 
ful girl  he  had  ever  seen. 

"You  need  not  fear  Militza,"  said  the  beautiful  girl, 
looking  at  the  prince  with  friendly .  eyes.  "  An  evil 
magician  has  not  robbed  you  of  your  fruit,  but  he  stole 
the  seed  from  my  mother  and  thereby  caused  her  death. 
When  she  was  dying  she  bade  me  take  the  fruit,  which 
you  have  no  right  to  possess,  from  the  trees  every  year  as 
soon  as  it  was  ripe.  This  I  would  have  done  to-night  too 
if  you  had  not  seized  me  with  such  force  and  so  broken  the 
spell  I  was  under." 

Iwanich,  who  had  been  prepared  to  mefet  a  terrible 
magician  and  not  a  lovely  girl,  fell  desperately  in  love  with 
her.  They  spent  the  rest  of  the  night  in  pleasant  conversa- 
tion, and  when  Militza  wished  to  go  away  he  begged  her  not 
to  leave  him. 

"  I  would  gladly  stay  with  you  longer,"  said  Militza, 
"  but  a  wicked  witch  once  cut  off  a  lock  of  my  hair  when 
I  was  asleep,  which  has  put  me  in  her  power,  and  if  morn- 
ing were  still  to  find  me  here  she  would  do  me  some  harm, 
and  you  too,  perhaps." 

Having  said  these  words,  she  drew  a  sparkling  diamond 
ring  from  her  finger,  which  she  handed  to  the  prince, 
saying,  "  Keep  this  ring  in  memory  of  Militza,  and  think 
of  her  sometimes  if  you  never  see  her  again.  But  if  your 
love  is  really  true,  come  and  find  me  in  my  own  kingdom. 
I  may  not  show  you  the  way  there,  but  this  ring  will  guide 
you.  If  you  have  love  and  courage  enough  to  undertake 
this  journey,  whenever  you  come  to  a  cross-road  always 
look  at  this  diamond  before  you  settle  which  way  you  are 
going  to  take.  If  it  sparkles  as  brightly  as  ever  go 
straight  on,  but  if  its  luster  is  dimmed  choose  another 
path." 

Then  Militza  bent  over  the  prince  and  kissed  him  on  his 
forehead,  and  before  he  had  time  to  say  a  word  she  van- 


172 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


ished  through  the  branches  of  the  tree  in  a  little  white 
cloud. 

Morning  broke,  and  the  prince,  still  full  of  the  won- 
derful apparition,  left  his  perch  and  returned  to  the  palace 
like  one  in  a  dream,  without  even  knowing  if  the  fruit  had 
been  taken  or  not;  for  his  whole  mind  was  absorbed  by 
thoughts  of  Militza  and  how  he  was  to  find  her. 

As  soon  as  the  head  gardener  saw  the  prince  going 
toward  the  palace  he  ran  to  the  trees,  and  when  he  saw 
them  laden  with  ripe  fruit  he  hastened  to  tell  the  king 
the  joyful  news.  The  king  was  beside  himself  for  joy, 
and  hurried  at  once  to  the  garden  and  made  the  gardener 
pick  him  some  of  the  fruit.  He  tasted  it  and  found  the 


apple  quite  as  luscious  as  it  had  been  in  his  dream.  He 
•went  at  once  to  his  son  Iwanich,  and  after  embracing  him 
>enderly  and  heaping  praises  on  him,  he  asked  him  how 
he  had  succeeded  in  protecting  the  costly  fruit  from  the 
power  of  the  magician. 

This  question  placed  Iwanich  in  a  dilemma.  But  as  h© 
did  not  want  the  real  story  to  be  known,  he  said  that  about 
midnight  a  huge  wasp  had  flown  through  the  branches 
and  buzzed  incessantly  round  him.  He  had  warded  it  off 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  173 

with  his  sword,  and  at  dawn,  when  he  was  becoming  quite 
worn  out,  the  wasp  had  vanished  as  suddenly  as  it  had 
appeared. 

The  king,  who  never  doubted  the  truth  of  this  tale,  bade 
his  son  go  to  rest  at  once  and  recover  from  the  fatigues  of 
the  night,  but  he  himself  went  and  ordered  many  feasts  to 
be  held  in  honor  of  the  preservation  of  the  wonderful  fruit. 

The  whole  capital  was  in  a  stir,  and  everyone  shared 
in  the  king's  joy;  the  prince  alone  took  no  part  in  the 
festivities.  ' 

While  the  king  was  at  a  banquet  Iwanich  took  some 
purses  of  gold,  and  mounting  the  quickest  horse  in  the 
royal  stable,  he  sped  off  like  the  wind  without  a  single 
soul  being  any  the  wiser. 

It  was  only  on  the  next  day  that  they  missed  him.  The 
king  was  very  distressed  at  his  disappearance  and  sent 
search-parties  all  over  the  kingdom  to  look  for  him,  but 
in  vain;  and  after  six  months  they  gave  him  up  as  dead, 
and  in  another  six  months  they  had  forgotten  all  about 
him.  But  in  the  meantime  the  prince,  with  the  help  of 
his  ring,  had  had  a  most  successful  journey,  and  no  evil  had 
befallen  him. 

At  the  end  of  three  months  he  came  to  the  entrance  of 
a  huge  forest,  which  looked  as  if  it  had  never  been  trodden, 
by  human  foot  before  and  which  seemed  to  stretch  out 
indefinitely.  The  prince  was  about  to  enter  the  wood  by 
a  little  path  he  had  discovered,  when  he  heard  a  voice 
shouting  to  him :  "  Hold,  youth !  Whither  are  you  going  ?  " 

Iwanich  turned  round  and  saw  a  tall,  gaunt-looking 
man,  clad  in  miserable  rags,  leaning  on  a  crooked  staff  and 
seated  at  the  foot  of  an  oak  tree,  which  was  so  much  the 
same  color  as  himself  that  it  was  little  wonder  the  prince 
had  ridden  past  the  tree  without  noticing  him. 

"Where  else  should  I  be  going,"  he  said,  "than  through 
the  wood?" 

"  Through  the  wood  ? "  said  the  old  man  in  amazement. 
"  It's  easily  seen  that  you  have  heard  nothing  of  this  forest 
that  you  rush  so  blindly  to  meet  your  doom.  Well,  listen 
to  me  before  you  ride  any  further.  Let  me  tell  you  that 
this  wood  hides  in  its  depths  a  countless  number  of  the 
fiercest  tigers,  hyenas,  wolves,  bears,  and  snakes,  and  all 


174         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

sorts  of  other  monsters.  If  I  were  to  cut  you  and  your 
horse  up  into  tiny  morsels  and  threw  them  to  the  beasts, 
there  wouldn't  be  one  bit  for  each  hundred  of  them. 
Take  my  advice,  therefore,  and  if  you  wish  to  save  your 
life  follow  some  other  path." 

The  prince  was  rather  taken  aback  by  the  old  man's 
words  and  considered  for  a  minute  what  he  should  do; 
then  looking  at  his  ring,  and  perceiving  that  it  sparkled 
as  brightly  as  ever,  he  called  out :  "  If  this  wood  held  even 
more  terrible  things  than  it  does,  I  cannot  help  myself, 
for  I  must  go  through  it." 

Here  he  spurred  his  horse  and  rode  on,  but  the  old  beg- 
gar screamed  so  loudly  after  him  that  the  prince  turned 
round  and  rode  back  to  the  oak  tree. 

"  I  am  really  sorry  for  you,"  said  the  beggar,  "  but  if  you 
are  quite  determined  to  brave  the  dangers  of  the  forest, 
let  me  at  least  give  you  a  piece  of  advice  which  will  help  you 
against  these  monsters.  Take  this  bagful  of  bread-crumbs 
and  this  live  hajie.  I  will  make  you  a  present  of  them  both; 
as  I  am  anxious  to  save  your  life;  but  you  must  leave  your 
horse  behind  you,  for  it  would  stumble  over  the  fallen  trees 
or  get  entangled  in  the  briars  and  thorns.  When  you  have 
gone  about  a  hundred  yards  into  the  wood  the  wild  Jieasts 
will  surround  you.  Then  you  must  instantly  seize  your 
bag  and  scatter  the  bread-crumbs  among  them.  They  will 
rush  to  eat  them  up  greedily,  and  when  you  have  scattered 
the  last  crumb  you  must  lose  no  time  in  throwing  the  hare 
to  them.  As  soon  as  the  hare  feels  itself  on  the  ground  it 
will  run  away  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  the  wild  beasts  will 
turn  to  pursue  it.  In  this  way  you  will  be  able  to  get  through 
the  wood  unhurt." 

Iwanich  thanked  the  old  man  for  his  counsel,  dismounted 
from  his  horse,  and  taking  the  bag  and  the  hare  in  his  arms 
he  entered  the  forest.  He  had  hardly  lost  sight  of  his 
gaunt  gray  friend  when  he  heard  growls  and  snarls  in  the 
thicket  close  to  him,  and  before  he  had  time  to  think  he 
found  himself  surrounded  by  the  most  dreadful-looking 
creatures.  On  one  side  he  saw  the  glittering  eye  of  a  cruel 
tiger,  on  the  other  the  gleaming  teeth  of  a  great  she- wolf ; 
here  a  huge  bear  growled  fiercely,  and  there  a  horrible  snake 
coiled  itself  in  the  grass  at  his  feet. 


THE   YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK. 


175 


But  Iwanich  did  not  forget  the  old  man's  advice,  and 
quickly  put  his  hand  into  the  bag  and  took  out  as  many 
bread-crumbs  as  he  could  hold  in  his  hand  at  a  time.  He 
threw  them  to  the  beasts,  but  soon  the  bag  grew  lighter 
and  lighter,  and  the  prince  began  to  feel  a  little  frightened. 
And  now  the  last  crumb  was  gone,  and  the  hungry  beasts 
thronged  round  him,  greedy  for  fresh  prey.  Then  he  seized 
the  hare  and  threw  it  to  them. 

No  sooner  did  the  little  creature  feel  itself  on  the  ground 
than  it  laid  back  its  ears  and  flew  through  the  wood  like  an 
arrow  from  a  bow,  closely  pursued  by  the  wild  beasts,  and 


the  prince  was  left  alone.  He  looked  at  his  ring,  and 
when  he  saw  that  it  sparkled  as  brightly  as  ever  he  went 
straight  on  through  the  forest. 

He  hadn't  gone  very  far  when  he  saw  a  most  extraor- 
dinary-looking man  coming  toward  him.  He  was  not 
more  than  three  feet  high,  his  legs  were  quite  crooked,  and 
all  his  body  was  covered  with  prickles  like  a  hedge-hog. 
Two  lions  walked  with  him,  fastened  to  his  side  by  the  two 
ends  of  his  long  beard. 

He  stopped  the  prince  and  asked  him  in  a  harsh  voice: 
"  Are  you  the  man  who  has  just  fed  my  bodyguard  ? " 

Iwanich  was  so  startled  that  he  could  hardly  reply,  but 


176  THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

the  little  man  continued:  "  I  am  most  grateful  to  you  for 
your  kindness.  What  can  I  give  you  as  a  reward  ? " 

"  All  I  ask,"  replied  Iwanich,  "  is  that  I  should  be  allowed 
to  go  through  this  wood  in  safety." 

"  Most  certainly,"  answered  the  little  man ;  "  and  for 
greater  security  I  will  give  you  one  of  my  lions  as  a  pro- 
tector. But  when  you  leave  this  wood  and  come  near  a 
palace  which  does  not  belong  to  my  domain,  let  the  lion 
go,  in  order  that  he  may  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  an 
enemy  and  be  killed." 

With  these  words  he  loosened  the  lion  from  his  beard  and 
bade  the  beast  guard  the  youth  carefully. 

With  this  new  protector  Iwanich  wandered  on  through 
the  forest,  and  though  he  came  upon  a  great  many  more 
wolves,  hyenas,  leopards,  and  other  wild  beasts,  they  always, 
kept  at  a  respectful  distance  when  they  saw  what  sort  of 
an  escort  the  prince  had  with  him. 

Iwanich  hurried  through  the  wood  as  quickly  as  his  legs 
would  carry  him,  but  nevertheless  hour  after  hour  went 
by  and  not  a  trace  of  a  green  field  or  a  human  habitation 
met  his  eyes.  At  length,  toward  evening,  the  mass  of 
trees  grew  more  transparent,  and  through  the  interlaced 
branches  a  wide  plain  was  visible. 

At  the  exit  of  the  wood  the  lion  stood  still,  and  the  prince 
took  leave  of  him,  having  first  thanked  him  warmly  for 
his  kind  protection.  It  had  become  quite  dark,  and  Iwanich 
was  forced  to  wait  for  daylight  before  continuing  his  journey. 

He  made  himself  a  bed  of  grass  and  leaves,  lit  a  fire  of 
dry  branches,  and  slept  soundly  till  the  next  morning. 

Then  he  got  up  and  walked  toward  a  beautiful  white 
palace  which  he  saw  gleaming  in  the  distance.  In  about 
an  hour  he  reached  the  building,  and  opening  the  door  he 
walked  in. 

After  wandering  through  many  marble  halls,  he  came  to 
a  huge  staircase  made  of  porphyry  leading  down  to  a  lovely 
garden. 

The  prince  burst  into  a  shout  of  joy  when  he  suddenly 
perceived  Militza  in  the  center  of  a  group  of  girls  who 
were  weaving  wreaths  of  flowers  with  which  to  deck  their 
mistress. 

As  soon  as  Militza  saw  the  prince  she  ran  up  to  him  and 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          177 

embraced  him  tenderly,  and  after  he  had  told  her  all  his 
adventures  they  went  into  the  palace,  where  a  sumptuous 
meal  awaited  them.  Then  the  princess  called  her  court  to- 
gether and  introduced  Iwanich  to  them  as  her  future 
husband. 

Preparations  were  at  once  made  for  the  wedding,  which 
was  held  soon  after  with  great  pomp  and  magnificence. 

Three  months  of  great  happiness  followed,  when  Militza 
received  one  day  an  invitation  to  visit  her  mother's  sister. 

Although  the  princess  was  very  unhappy  at  leaving  her 
husband,  she  did  not  like  to  refuse  the  invitation,  and 
promising  to  return  in  seven  days  at  the  latest,  she  took  a 
tender  farewell  of  the  prince  and  said :  "  Before  I  go  I  will 
hand  you  over  all  the  keys  of  the  castle.  Go  everywhere 
and  do  anything  you  like.  Only  one  thing  I  beg  and  be- 
seech you,  do  not  open  the  little  iron  door  in  the  north 
tower,  which  is  closed  with  seven  locks  and  seven  bolts; 
for  if  you  do  we  shall  both  suffer  for  it." 

Iwanich  promised  what  she  asked,  and  Militza  departed, 
repeating  her  promise  to  return  in  seven  days. 

When  the  prince  found  himself  alone  he  began  to  be 
tormented  by  pangs  of  curiosity  as  to  what  the  room  in  the 
tower  contained.  For  two  days  he  resisted  the  temptation 
to  go  and  look,  but  on  the  third  he  could  stand  it  no  longer, 
and  taking  a  torch  in  his  hand  he  hurried  to  the  tower  and 
unfastened  one  lock  after  the  other  of  the  little  iron  door 
until  it  burst  open. 

What  an  unexpected  sight  met  his  gaze!  The  prince 
perceived  a  small  room  black  with  smoke,  lit  up  feebly  by 
a  fire  from  which  issued  long  blue  flames.  Over  the  fire 
hung  a  huge  caldron  full  of  boiling  pitch,  and  fastened 
into  the  caldron  by  iron  chains  stood  a  wretched  man  scream- 
ing with  agony. 

Iwanich  was  much  horrified  at  the  sight  before  him,  and 
asked  the  man  what  terrible  crime  he  had  committed  to  be 
punished  in  this  dreadful  fashion. 

"  I  will  tell  you  everything,"  said  the  man  in  the  caldron ; 
"  but  first  relieve  my  torments  a  little,  I  implore  you." 

"  And  how  can  I  do  that  ?  "  asked  the  prince. 

"With  a  little  water,"  replied  the  man;  "only  sprinkle 
a  few  drops  over  me  and  I  shall  feel  better." 


»her  maidens  ti)  tbe  garden 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  179 

The  prince,  moved  by  pity,  without  thinking  what  he 
was  doing,  ran  to  the  court-yard  of  the  castle  and  filled  a 
jug  with  water,  which  he  poured  over  the  man  in  the 
caldron. 

In  a  moment  a  most  fearful  crash  was  heard,  as  if  the 
pillars  of  the  palace  were  giving  way,  and  the  palace  itself, 
with  towers  and  doors,  windows  and  caldron,  whirled 
round  the  bewildered  prince's  head.  This  continued  for 
a  few  minutes,  and  then  everything  vanished  into  thin  air, 
and  Iwanich  found  himself  suddenly  alone  upon  a  desolate 
heath  covered  with  rocks  and  stones. 

The  prince,  who  now  realized  what  his  heedlessness  had 
done,  cursed  too  late  his  spirit  of  curiosity.  In  his  despair 
he  wandered  on  over  the  heath,  never  looking  where  he 
put  his  feet  and  full  of  sorrowful  thoughts.  At  last  he 
saw  a  light  in  the  distance,  which  came  from  a  miserable- 
looking  little  hut. 

The  owner  of  it  was  none  other  than  the  kind-hearted 
gaunt  gray  beggar  who  had  given  the  prince  the  bag  of 
bread-crumbs  and  the  live  hare.  Without  recognizing 
Iwanich,  he  opened  the  door  when  he  knocked  and  gave 
him  shelter  for  the  night. 

On  the  following  morning  the  prince  asked  his  host  if 
he  could  get  him  any  work  to  do,  as  he  was  quite  unknown 
in  the  neighborhood  and  had  not  enough  money  to  take 
him  home. 

"  My  son,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  all  this  country  round 
here  is  uninhabited.  I  myself  have  to  wander  to  distant 
villages  for  my  living,  and  even  then  I  do  not  very  often 
find  enough  to  satisfy  my  hunger.  But  if  you  would  like 
to  take  service  with  the  old  witch  Corva,  go  straight  up 
the  little  stream  which  flows  below  my  hut  for  about  three 
hours,  and  you  will  come  to  a  sand-hill  on  ihe  left-hand 
side;  that  is  where  she  lives." 

Iwanich  thanked  the  gaunt  gray  beggar  for  his  informa- 
tion and  went  on  his  way. 

After  walking  for  about  three  hours  the  prince  came 
upon  a  dreary-looking  gray  stone  wall;  this  was  the  back 
of  the  building  and  did  not  attract  him;  but  when  he 
came  upon  the  front  of  the  house  he  found  it  even  less 
inviting,  for  the  old  witch  had  surrounded  her  dwelling 


180         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

with  a  fence  of  spikes,  on  every  one  of  which  a  man's 
skull  was  stuck.  In  this  horrible  inclosure  stood  a  small 
black  house,  which  had  only  two  grated  windows,  all  cov- 
ered with  cobwebs,  and  a  battered  iron  door. 

The  prince  knocked,  and  a  rasping  woman's  voice  told 
him  to  enter. 

Iwanich  opened  the  door  and  found  himself  in  a  smoke- 
begrimed  kitchen,  in  the  presence  of  a  hideous  old  woman 
who  was  warming  her  skinny  hands  at  a  fire.  The  prince 
offered  to  become  her  servant,  and  the  old  hag  told  him  she 
was  badly  in  want  of  one  and  he  seemed  to  be  just  the  per- 
son to  suit  her. 

When  Iwanich  asked  what  his  work  and  how  much  his 
wages  would  be,  the  witch  bade  him  follow  her,  and  led  the 
way  through  a  narrow,  damp  passage  into  a  vault  which 
served  as  a  stable.  Here  he  perceived  two  pitch-black 
horses  in  a  stall. 

"  You  see  before  you,"  said  the  old  woman,  "  a  mare 
and  her  foal.  You  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  lead  them 
out  to  the  fields  every  day  and  to  see  that  neither  of  them 
runs  away  from  you.  If  you  look  after  them  both  for  a 
whole  year  I  will  give  you  anything  you  like  to  ask;  but  if, 
on  the  other  hand,  you  let  either  of  the  animals  escape  you, 
your  last  hour  is  come  and  your  head  shall  be  stuck  on  the 
last  spike  of  my  fence.  The  other  spikes,  as  you  see,  are 
already  adorned,  and  the  skulls  are  all  those  of  different 
servants  I  have  had  who  have  failed  to  do  what  I  demanded." 

Iwanich,  who  thought  he  could  not  be  much  worse  off 
than  he  was  already,  agreed  to  the  witch's  proposal. 

At  daybreak  next  morning  he  drove  his  horses  to  the 
field,  and  brought  them  back  in  the  evening  without  their 
ever  having  attempted  to  break  away  from  him.  The  witch 
stood  at  her  door  and  received  him  kindly  and  set  a  good 
meal  before  him. 

So  it  continued  for  some  time,  and  all  went  well  with  the 
prince.  Early  every  morning  he  led  the  horses  out  to  the 
fields  and  brought  them  home  safe  and  sound  in  the  evening. 

One  day,  while  he  was  watching  the  horses,  he  came  to 
the  banks  of  a  river  and  saw  a  big  fish,  which  through 
some  mischance  had  been  cast  on  the  land,  struggling  hard 
to  get  back  into  the  water. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 


181 


Iwanich,  who  felt  sorry  for  the  poor  creature,  seized  it 
in  his  arms  and  flung  it  into  the  stream.     But  no  sooner 


did  the  fish  find  itself  in  the  water  again  than,  to  the  prince's 
amazement,  it  swam  up  to  the  bank  and  said : 

"  My  kind  benefactor,  how  can  I  reward  you  for  your 
goodness  ? " 


182  THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

"  I  desire  nothing,"  answered  the  prince.  "  I  am  quite 
content  to  have  been  able  to  be  of  some  service  to  you." 

"  You  must  do  me  the  favor,"  replied  the  fish,  "  to  take 
a  scale  from  my  body  and  keep  it  carefully.  If  you  should 
ever  need  my  help,  throw  it  into  the  river  and  I  will  come 
to  your  aid  at  once." 

Iwanich  bowed,  loosened  a  scale  from  the  body  of  the 
grateful  beast,  put  it  carefully  away,  and  returned  home. 

A  short  time  after  this,  when  he  was  going  early  one 
morning  to  the  usual  grazing  place  with  his  horses,  he 
noticed  a  flock  of  birds  assembled  together,  making  a  great 
noise  and  flying  wildly  backward  and  forward. 

Full  of  curiosity,  Iwanich  hurried  up  to  the  spot  and 
saw  that  a  large  number  of  ravens  had  attacked  an  eagle, 
and  although  the  eagle  was  big  and  powerful  and  was  making 
ing  a  brave  fight,  it  was  overpowered  at  last  by  numbers 
and  had  to  give  in. 

But  the  prince,  who  was  sorry  for  the  poor  bird,  seized 
the  branch  of  a  tree  and  hit  out  at  the  ravens  with  it. 
Terrified  at  this  unexpected  onslaught  they  flew  away,  leav- 
ing many  of  their  number  dead  or  wounded  on  the  battle- 
field. 

As  soon  as  the  eagle  saw  itself  free  from  its  tormentors 
it  plucked  a  feather  from  its  wing,  and,  handing  it  to  the 
prince,  said :  "  Here,  my  kind  benefactor,  take  this  feather 
as  a  proof  of  my  gratitude.  Should  you  ever  be  in  need 
of  my  help  blow  this  feather  into  the  air,  and  I  will  help 
you  as  much  as  is  in  my  power." 

Iwanich  thanked  the  bird,  and  placing  the  feather  beside 
the  scale  drove  the  horses  home. 

Another  day  he  had  wandered  further  than  usual  and 
came  close  to  a  farm-yard.  The  place  pleased  the  prince, 
and  as  there  was  plenty  of  good  grass  for  the  horses  he 
determined  to  spend  the  day  there.  Just  as  he  was  sitting 
down  under  a  tree  he  heard  a  cry  close  to  him,  and  saw  a 
fox  which  had  been  caught  in  a  trap  placed  there  by  the 
farmer. 

In  vain  did  the  poor  beast  try  to  free  itself;  then  the 
good-natured  prince  came  once  more  to  the  rescue  and  let 
the  fox  out  of  the  trap. 

The  fox  thanked  him  heartily,  tore  two  hairs  out  of  his 


1 
THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          183 

bushy  tail,  and  said :  "  Should  you  ever  stand  in  need  of 
my  help  throw  these  two  hairs  into  the  fire,  and  in  a 
moment  I  shall  be  at  your  side,  ready  to  obey  you." 

Iwanich  put  the  fox's  hairs  with  the  scale  and  the  feather, 
and  as  it  was  getting  dark  he  hastened  home  with  his 
horses. 

In  the  meantime  his  service  was  drawing  near  to  an  end, 
and  in  three  more  days  the  year  was  up  and  he  would  be 
able  to  get  his  reward  and  leave  the  witch. 

On  the  first  evening  of  these  last  three  days,  when  he 
came  home  and  was  eating  his  supper,  he  noticed  the  old 
woman  stealing  into  the  stables. 

The  prince  followed  her  secretly,  to  see  what  she  was 
going  to  do.  He  crouched  down  in  the  doorway  and  heard 
the  wicked  witch  telling  the  horses  to  wait  next  morning 
till  Iwanich  was  asleep,  and  then  to  go  and  hide  themselves 
in  the  river  and  to  stay  there  till  she  told  them  to  return; 
and  if  they  didn't  do  as  she  told  them  the  old  woman  threat- 
ened to  beat  them  till  they  bled. 

When  Iwanich  heard  all  this  he  went  back  to  his  room, 
determined  that  nothing  should  induce  him  to  fall  asleep 
next  day.  On  the  following  morning  he  led  the  mare  and 
foal  to  the  field  as  usual,  but  bound  a  cord  round  them  both 
which  he  kept  in  his  hand. 

But  after  a  few  hours,  by  the  magic  arts  of  the  old 
witch,  he  was  overpowered  by  sleep,  and  the  mare  and  foal 
escaped  and  did  as  they  had  been  told  to  do.  The  prince 
did  not  awake  till  late  in  the  evening,  and  when  he  did 
he  found,  to  his  horror,  that  the  horses  had  disappeared. 
Filled  with  despair,  he  cursed  the  moment  when  he  had 
entered  the  service  of  the  cruel  witch,  and  already  he  saw 
his  head  sticking  up  on  the  sharp  spike  beside  the  others. 

Then  he  suddenly  remembered  the  fish's  scale,  which, 
with  the  eagle's  feather  and  the  fox's  hairs,  he  always  car- 
ried about  with  him.  He  drew  the  scale  from  his  pocket, 
and  hurrying  to  the  river  he  threw  it  in.  In  a  minute  the 
grateful  fish  swam  toward  the  bank  on  which  Iwanich  was 
standing  and  said:  "What  do  you  command,  my  friend 
and  benefactor  ?  " 

The  prince  replied:  "I  had  to  look  after  a  mare  and 
foal,  and  they  have  run  away  from  me  and  have  hidden 


184         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

themselves  in  the  river.  If  you  wish  to  save  my  life  drive 
them  back  to  the  land." 

"  Wait  a  moment,"  answered  the  fish,  "  and  I  and  my 
friends  will  soon  drive  them  out  of  the  water."  With 
these  words  the  creature  disappeared  into  the  depths  of  the 
stream. 

Almost  immediately  a  rushing,  hissing  sound  was  heard 
in  the  waters,  the  waves  dashed  against  the  banks,  the 
foam  was  tossed  into  the  air,  and  the  two  horses  leaped 
suddenly  on  to  the  dry  land,  trembling  and  shaking  with 
fear. 

Iwanich  sprang  at  once  on  to  the  mare's  back,  seized  the 
foal  by  its  bridle,  and  hastened  home  in  the  highest  spirits. 

When  the  witch  saw  the  prince  bringing  the  horses  home 
she  could  hardly  conceal  her  wrath,  and  as  soon  as  she  had 
placed  Iwanich's  supper  before  him  she  stole  away  again 
to  the  stables.  The  prince  followed  her  and  heard  her 
scolding  the  beasts  harshly  for  not  having  hidden  them- 
selves better.  She  bade  them  wait  next  morning  till 
Iwanich  was  asleep  and  then  to  hide  themselves  in  the 
clouds,  and  to  remain  there  till  she  called.  If  they  did  not 
do  as  she  told  them  she  would  beat  them  till  they  bled. 

The  next  morning,  after  Iwanich  had  led  his  horses  to 
the  fields,  he  fell  once  more  into  a  magic  sleep.  The  horses 
at  once  ran  away  and  hid  themselves  in  the  clouds,  which 
hung  down  from  the  mountains  in  soft,  billowy  masses. 

When  the  prince  awoke  and  found  that  both  the  mare 
and  the  foal  had  disappeared,  he  bethought  him  at  once 
of  the  eagle,  and  taking  the  feather  out  of  his  pocket  he 
blew  it  into  the  air. 

In  a  moment  the  bird  swooped  down  beside  him  and 
asked :  "  What  do  you  wish  me  to  do  ?  " 

"  My  mare  and  foal,"  replied  the  prince,  "  have  run  away 
from  me  and  have  hidden  themselves  in  the  clouds.  If 
you  wish  to  save  my  life,  restore  both  animals  to  me." 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  answered  the  eagle.  "  With  the  help 
of  my  friends  I  will  soon  drive  them  back  to  you." 

With  these  words  the  bird  flew  up  into  the  air  and  dis- 
appeared among  the  clouds. 

Almost  dirgctly  Iwanich  saw  his  two  horses  being  driven 
toward  him  by  a  host  of  eagles  of  all  sizes.  He  caught 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         185 

the  mare  and  foal,  and  having  thanked  the  eagle  he  drove 
them  cheerfully  home  again. 

The  old  witch  was  more  disgusted  than  ever  when  she 
saw  him  appearing,  and  having  set  his  supper  before  him 
she  stole  into  the  stable,  and  Iwanich  heard  her  abusing 
the  horses  for  not  having  hidden  themselves  better  in  the 
clouds.  Then  she  bade  them  hide  themselves  next  morn- 
ing, as  soon  as  Iwanich  was  asleep,  in  the  king's  hen-house, 
which  stood  on  a  lonely  part  of  the  heath,  and  to  remain 
there  till  she  called.  If  they  failed  to  do  as  she  told  them 
she  would  certainly  beat  them  this  time  till  they  bled. 

On  the  following  morning  the  prince  drove  his  horses  as 
usual  to  the  fields.  After  he  had  been  overpowered  by 
sleep,  as  on  the  former  days,  the  mare  and  foal  ran  away 
and  hid  themselves  in  the  royal  hen-house. 

When  the  prince  awoke  and  found  the  horses  gone  he 
determined  to  appeal  to  the  fox;  so,  lighting  a  fire,  he  threw 
the  two  hairs  into  it,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  fox  stood 
beside  him  and  asked :  "  In  what  way  can  I  serve  you  ? " 

"I  wish  to  know,"  replied  Iwanich,  "where  the  king's 
hen-house  is." 

"Hardly  an  hour's  walk  from  here,"  replied  the  fox,  and 
offered  to  show  the  prince  the  way  to  it. 

While  they  were  walking  along  the  fox  asked  him  what 
he  wanted  to  do  at  the  royal  hen-house.  The  prince  told 
him  of  the  misfortune  that  had  befallen  him  and  of  the 
necessity  of  recovering  the  mare  and  foal. 

"  That  is  no  easy  matter,"  replied  the  fox.  "  But  wait 
a  moment.  I  have  an  idea.  Stand  at  the  door  of  the 
hen-house  and  wait  there  for  your  horses.  In  the  mean- 
time I  will  slip  in  among  the  hens  through  a  hole  in  the 
wall  and  give  them  a  good  chase,  so  that  .the  noise  they 
make  will  arouse  the  royal  hen-wives,  and  they  will  come 
to  see  what  is  the  matter.  When  they  see  the  horses  they 
will  at  once  imagine  them  to  be  the  cause  of  the  disturbance 
and  will  drive  them  out.  Then  you  must  lay  hands  on  the 
mare  and  foal  and  catch  them." 

All  turned  out  as  the  sly  fox  had  foreseen.  The  prince 
swung  himself  on  the  mare,  seized  the  foal  by  its  bridle,  and 
hurried  home. 

While  he  was  riding  over  the  heath  in  the  highest   of 


186         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

spirits  the  mare  suddenly  said  to  Her  rider:  "You  are  the 
first  person  who  has  ever  succeeded  in  outwitting  the  old 
witch  Corva,  and  now  you  may  ask  what  reward  you  like 
for  your  service.  If  you  promise  never  to  betray  me  I  will 


*\ 


Iwanich  Dashes  the  Magician  to  the  Ground. 

give  you  a  piece  of  advice  which  you  will  do  well  to  follow, 
as  it  will  bring  you  happiness  and  prosperity." 

The  prince  promised  never  to  betray  her  confidence,  and 
-the  mare  continued :  "  Ask  nothing  else  as  a  reward  than 
my  foal,  for  it  has  not  its  like  in  the  world  and  is  not  to  be 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         187 

bought  for  love  or  money;  for  it  can  go  from  one  end  of 
the  earth  to  another  in  a  few  minutes.  Of  course  the  cun- 
ning Corva  will  do  her  best  to  dissuade  you  from  taking 
the  foal  and  will  tell  you  that  it  is  both  idle  and  sickly;  but 
do  not  believe  her  and  stick  to  your  point." 

Iwanich  longed  to  possess  such  an  animal  and  promised 
the  mare  to  follow  her  advice. 

This  time  Corva  received  him  in  the  most  friendly 
manner  and  set  a  sumptuous  repast  before  him.  As  soon 
as  he  had  finished  she  asked  him  what  reward  he  demanded 
for  his  year's  service. 

"Nothing  more  nor  less,"  replied  the  prince,  "than  the 
foal  of  your  mare." 

The  witch  pretended  to  be  much  astonished  at  his 
request,  and  said  that  he  deserved  something  much  better 
than  the  foal,  for  the  beast  was  lazy  and  nervous,  blind  in  one 
eye,  and,  in  short,  was  quite  worthless. 

But  the  prince  knew  what  he  wanted,  and  when  the  old 
witch  saw  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  have  the  foal 
she  said :  "  I  am  obliged  to  keep  my  promise  and  to  hand 
you  over  the  foal;  and  as  I  know  who  you  are  and  what 
you  want,  I  will  tell  you  in  what  way  the  animal  will  be 
useful  to  you.  The  man  in  the  caldron  of  boiling  pitch, 
whom  you  set  free,  is  a  mighty  magician.  Through  your 
curiosity  and  thoughtlessness  Militza  came  into  his  power, 
and  he  has  transported  her  and  her  castle  and  belongings 
into  a  distant  country.  You  are  the  only  person  who  can 
kill  him,  and  in  consequence  he  fears  you  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  has  set  spies  to  watch  you,  and  they  report 
your  movements  to  him  daily.  When  you  have  reached 
him,  beware  of  speaking  a  single  word  to  him,  or  you  will 
fall  into  the  power  of  his  friends.  Seize  him  at  once  by 
the  beard  and  dash  him  to  the  ground." 

Iwanich  thanked  the  old  witch,  mounted  his  foal,  put 
spurs  to  its  sides,  and  they  flew  like  lightning  through  the 
air. 

Already  it  was  growing  dark,  when  Iwanich  perceived 
some  figures  in  the  distance.  He  soon  came  up  to  them, 
and  then  the  prince  saw  that  it  was  the  magician  and  his 
friends,  who  were  driving  through  the  air  in  a  carriage 
drawn  by  owls. 


188         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

When  the  magician  found  himself  face  to  face  with 
Iwanich,  without  hope  of  escape,  he  turned  to  him  with 
false  friendliness  and  said :  "  Thrice  my  kind  benefactor !  " 

But  the  prince,  without  saying  a  word,  seized  him  at  once 
by  his  beard  and  dashed  him  to  the  ground.  At  the  same 
moment  the  foal  sprang  on  the  top  of  the  magician  and 
kicked  and  stamped  on  him  with  its  hoofs  till  he  died. 

Then  Iwanich  found  himself  once  more  in  the  palace  of 
his  bride,  and  Militza  herself  flew  into  his  arms. 

From  this  time  forward  they  lived  in  undisturbed  peace 
and  happiness  till  the  end  of  their  lives. 


THE  MAGIC  KING. 

Once  upon  a  time  there  lived  an  old  couple  who  had 
one  son  called  Martin.  Now,  when  the  old  man's  time 
had  come  he  stretched  himself  out  on  his  bed  and  died. 
Though  all  his  long  life  he  had  toiled  and  moiled,  he  only 
left  his  widow  and  son  200  florins.  The  old  woman  deter- 
mined to  put  by  the  money  for  a  rainy  day,  but,  alas!  the 
rainy  day  was  close  at  hand,  for  their  meal  was  all  con- 
sumed, and  who  is  prepared  to  face  starvation  with  200 
florins  at  their  disposal?  So  the  old  woman  counted  out 
100  florins,  and,  giving  them  to  Martin,  told  him  to  go  into 
the  town  and  lay  in  a  store  of  meal  for  a  year. 

So  Martin  started  off  for  the  town.  When  he  reached  the 
meat-market  he  found  the  whole  place  in  turmoil  and  a 
great  noise  of  angry  voices  and  barking  of  dogs.  Mixing 
in  the  crowd,  he  noticed  a  stag-hound  which  the  butchers 
had  caught  and  tied  to  a  post,  and  which  was  being  flogged 
in  a  merciless  manner.  Overcome  with  pity,  Martin  spoke 
to  the  butchers,  saying: 

"  Friends,  why  are  you  beating  the  poor  dog  so  cruelly  ? " 

"  We  have  every  right  to  beat  him,"  they  replied.  "  He 
has  just  devoured  a  newly  killed  pig." 

"  Leave  off  beating  him,"  said  Martin,  "  and  sell  him  to 
me  instead." 

"  If  you  choose  to  buy  him,"  answered  the  butchers  de- 
risively ;  "  but  for  such  a  treasure  we  won't  take  a  penny  less 
than  100  florins." 


THE   YELLOW    FAIEY   BOOK.  189 

"A  hundred !"  exclaimed  Martin.  "Well,  so  be  it,  if 
you  will  not  take  less ; "  and  taking  the  money  out  of  his 
pocket  he  handed  it  over  in  exchange  for  the  dog,  whose 
name  was  Schurka. 

When  Martin  got  home  his  mother  met  him  with  the 
question : 

"  Well,  what  have  you  bought  ?  " 

"  Schurka  the  dog,"  replied  Martin,  pointing  to  his  new 
possession.  Whereupon  his  mother  became  very  angry  and 
abused  him  roundly.  He  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  himself, 
when  there  was  scarcely  a  handful  of  meal  in  the  house, 
to  have  spent  the  money  on  a  useless  brute  like  that.  On 
the  following  day  she  sent  him  back  to  the  town,  saying: 
"  Here,  take  our  last  100  florins  and  buy  provisions  with 
them.  I  have  just  emptied  the  last  grains  of  meal  out  of 
the  chest  and  baked  a  bannock;  but  it  won't  last  over  to- 
morrow." 

Just  as  Martin  was  entering  the  town  he  met  a  rough- 
looking  peasant  who  was  dragging  a  cat  after  him  by  a 
string  which  was  fastened  round  the  poor  beast's  neck. 

"  Stop !  "  cried  Martin.  "  Where  are  you  dragging  that 
poor  cat  ? " 

"I  mean  to  drown  him,"  was  the  answer. 

"  What  harm  has  the  poor  beast  done  ? "  said  Martin. 

"  It  has  just  killed  a  goose,"  replied  the  peasant. 

"Don't  drown  him — sell  him  to  me  instead,"  begged 
Martin. 

"  Not  for  100  florins,"  was  the  answer. 

"Surely  for  100  florins,  you'll  sell  it?"  said  Martin. 
"  See !  here  is  the  money."  And  so  saying  he  handed  him 
the  100  florins,  which  the  peasant  pocketed,  and  Martin 
took  possession  of  the  cat,  which  was  called  Waska. 

When  he  reached  his  home  his  mother  greeted  him  with 
the  question. 

"  Well,  what  have  you  brought  back  ?  " 

"  I  have  brought  this  cat  Waska,"  answered  Martin. 

"And  what  besides?" 

"I  had  no  money  over  to  buy  anything  else  with,"  re- 
plied Martin. 

"  You  useless  ne'er-do-weel !  "  exclaimed  his  mother  in 
a  great  passion.  "  Leave  the  house  at  once  and  go  and 


190         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

beg  your  bread  among  strangers."  And  as  Martin  did  not 
dare  to  contradict  her,  he  called  Schurka  and  Waska  and 
started  off  with  them  to  the  nearest  village  in  search  of 
work.  On  the  way  he  met  a  rich  peasant,  who  asked  him 
where  he  was  going. 

"  I  want  to  get  work  as  a  day  laborer,"  he  answered. 

"  Come  along  with  me,  then.  But  if  I  must  tell  you,  I 
engage  my  laborers  without  wages.  If  you  serve  me  faith- 
fully for  a  year  I  promise  you  it  shall  be  for  your  ad- 
vantage." 

So  Martin  consented,  and  for  a  year  he  worked  diligently 
and  served  his  master  faithfully,  not  sparing  himself 
in  any  way.  When  the  day  of  reckoning  had  come  the 
peasant  led  him  into  a  barn,  and  pointing  to  two  full  sacks 
said :  "  Take  whichever  of  these  you  choose." 

Martin  examined  the  contents  of  the  sacks,  and  seeing 
that  one  was  full  of  silver  and  the  other  of  sand,  he  said  to 
himself :  "  There  must  be  some  trick  about  this.  I  had 
better  take  the  sand."  And  throwing  the  sack  over  his 
shoulders  he  started  out  into  the  world  in  search  of  fresh 
work.  On  and  on  he  walked,  and  at  last  he  reached  a  great 
gloomy  wood.  In  the  middle  of  the  wood  he  came  upon  a 
meadow  where  a  fire  was  burning,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
fire,  surrounded  by  flames,  was  a  lovely  damsel,  more  beau- 
tiful than  anything  that  Martin  had  ever  seen,  and  when 
she  saw  him  she  called  to  him: 

"  Martin,  if  you  would  win  happiness  save  my  life.  Ex- 
tinguish the  flames  with  the  sand  that  you  earned  in  pay- 
ment of  your  faithful  service." 

"Truly,"  thought  Martin  to  himself,  "it  would  be  more 
sensible  to  save  a  fellow-being's  life  with  this  sand  than  to 
drag  it  about  on  one's  back,  seeing  what  a  weight  it  is." 
And  forthwith  he  lowered  the  sack  from  his  shoulders  and 
emptied  its  contents  on  the  flames,  and  instantly  the  fire 
was  extinguished;  but  at  the  same  moment,  lo  and  behold! 
the  lovely  damsel  turned  into  a  serpent,  and  darting  upon 
him,  coiled  itself  round  his  neck  and  whispered  lovingly  in 
his  ear: 

"  Do  not  be  afraid  of  me,  Martin.  I  love  you  and  I  will 
go  with  you  through  the  world.  But  first  you  must  follow 
me  boldly  into  my  father's  kingdom,  underneath  the  earth; 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  191 

and  when  we  get  there  remember  this — he  will  offer  you 
gold  and  silver  and  dazzling  gems,  but  do  not  touch  them. 
Ask  him  instead  for  the  little  ring  which  he  wears  on  his 


Martin  Extinguishes  the  Flames, 

little  finger,  for  in  that  ring  lies  a  magic  power.  You  have 
only  to  throw  it  from  one  hand  to  the  other,  and  at  once 
twelve  young  men  will  appear  who  will  do  your  bidding,  no 
matter  how  difficult,  in  a  single  night." 


192         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

So  they  started  on  their  way,  and  after  much  wandering 
they  reached  a  spot  where  a  great  rock  rose  straight  up  in 
the  middle  of  the  road.  Instantly .  the  serpent  uncoiled  it- 
self from  his  neck,  and  as  it  touched  the  damp  earth  it 
resumed  the  shape  of  the  lovely  damsel.  Pointing  to  the 
rock,  she  showed  him  an  opening  just  big  enough  for  a 
man  to  wriggle  through.  Passing  into  it,  they  entered  a 
long  underground  passage  which  led  out  on  to  a  wide  field 
above  which  spread  a  blue  sky.  In  the  middle  of  the  field 
stood  a  magnificent  castle  built  out  of  porphyry,  with 
a  roof  of  gold  and  with  glittering  battlements.  And  his 
beautiful  guide  told  him  that  this  was  the  palace  in  which 
her  father  lived  and  reigned  over  his  kingdom  in  the  under- 
world. 

Together  they  entered  the  palace  and  were  received  by  the 
king  with  great  kindness.  Turning  to  his  daughter  he  said : 

"  My  child,  I  had  almost  given  up  the  hope  of  ever  seeing 
you  again.  Where  have  you  been  all  these  years  ? " 

"  My  father,"  she  replied,  "  I  owe  my  life  to  this  youth, 
who  saved  me  from  a  terrible  death." 

Upon  which  the  king  turned  to  Martin  with  a  gracious 
smile,  saying :  "  I  will  reward  your  courage  by  granting 
you  whatever  your  heart  desires.  Take  as  much  gold,  silver, 
and  precious  stones  as  you  choose." 

"  I  thank  you,  mighty  king,  for  your  gracious  offer," 
answered  Martin,  "  but  I  do  not  covet  either  gold,  silver, 
or  precious  stones;  yet  if  you  will  grant  me  a  favor,  give 
me,  I  beg,  the  ring  from  off  the  little  finger  of  your  royal 
hand.  Every  time  my  eye  falls  on  it  I  shall  think  of  your 
gracious  majesty,  and  when  I  marry  I  shall  present  it  to  my 
bride." 

So  the  king  took  the  ring  from  his  finger  and  gave  it  to 
Martin,  saying :  "  Take  it,  good  youth ;  but  with  it  I  make 
one  condition — you  are  never  to  confide  to  anyone  that 
this  is  a  magic  ring.  If  you  do,  you  will  straightway 
bring  misfortune  on  yourself." 

Martin  took  the  ring,  and  having  thanked  the  king  he 
set  out  on  the  same  road  by  which  he  had  come  down  into 
the  underworld.  When  he  had  regained  the  upper  air  he 
started  for  his  old  home,  and  having  found  his  mother  still 
living  in  the  old  house  where  he  had  left  her,  they  settled 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          193 

down  together  very  happily.  So  uneventful  was  their  life 
that  it  almost  seemed  as  if  it  would  go  on  in  this  way 
always  without  let  or  hindrance.  But  one  day  it  suddenly 
came  into  his  mind  that  he  would  like  to  get  married, 
and,  moreover,  that  he  would  choose  a  very  grand  wife — a 
king's  daughter,  in  short.  But  as  he  did  not  trust  him- 
self as  a  wooer,  he  determined  to  send  his  old  mother  on 
the  mission. 

"  You  must  go  to  the  king,"  he  said  to  her,  "  and  de- 
mand the  hand  of  his  lovely  daughter  in  marriage  for  me." 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of,  my  son  ? "  answered  the  old 
woman,  aghast  at  the  idea.  "  Why  cannot  you  marry  some- 
one in  your  own  rank?  That  would  be  far  more  fitting 
than  to  send  a  poor  old  woman  like  me  a-wooing  to 
the  king's  court  for  the  hand  of  a  princess.  Why,  it  is  as 
much  as  our  heads  are  worth!  Neither  my  life  nor  yours 
would  be  worth  anything  if  I  went  on  such  a  fool's  errand." 

"  Never  fear,  little  mother !  "  answered  Martin.  "  Trust 
me;  all  will  be  well.  But  see  that  you  do  not  come  back 
without  an  answer  of  some  kind." 

And  so,  obedient  to  her  son's  behest,  the  old  woman  hob- 
bled off  to  the  palace,  and  without  being  hindered  reached 
the  court-yard  and  began  to  mount  the  flight  of  steps  lead- 
ing to  the  royal  presence  chamber.  At  the  head  of  the 
landing  rows  of  courtiers  were  collected  in  magnificent 
attire,  who  stared  at  the  queer  old  figure,  and  called  to  her 
and  explained  to  her  with  every  kind  of  sign  that  it  was 
strictly  forbidden  to  mount  those  steps.  But  their  stern 
words  and  forbidding  gestures  made  no  impression  what- 
ever on  the  old  woman,  and  she  resolutely  continued  to  climb 
the  stairs,  bent  on  carrying  out  her  son's  orders.  Upon  this 
some  of  the  courtiers  seized  her  by  the  arms  and  held  her 
back  by  sheer  force,  at  which  she  set  up  such  a  yell  that 
the  king  himself  heard  it  and  stepped  out  on  to  the  balcony 
to  see  what  was  the  matter.  When  he  beheld  the  old  woman 
flinging  her  arms  wildly  about,  and  heard  her  scream  that  she 
would  not  leave  the  place  till  she  had  laid  her  case  before 
the  king,  he  ordered  that  she  should  be  brought  into  his  pres- 
ence. And  forthwith  she  was  conducted  into  the  golden 
presence  chamber,  where,  leaning  back  among  cushions 
of  royal  purple,  the  king  sat,  surrounded  by  his  counselors 


194         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

and  courtiers.    Courtesying  low,  the  old  woman  stood  silent 
before  him. 

"  Well,  my  good  old  dame,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?  "  asked 
the  king. 

"  I  have  come,"  replied  Martin's  mother — "  and  your  ma- 
jesty must  not  be  angry  with  me — I  have  come  a-wooing." 

"  Is  the  woman  out  of  her  mind  ? "  said  the  king,  with  an 
angry  frown. 

But  Martin's  mother  answered  boldly :  "  If  the  king  will 
only  listen  patiently  to  me  and  give  me  a  straightforward 
answer,  he  will  see  that  I  am  not  out  of  my  mind.  You, 
O  king,  have  a  lovely  daughter  to  give  in  marriage.  I  have 
a  son — a  wooer — as  clever  a  youth  and  as  good  a  son-in-law 
as  you  will  find  in  your  whole  kingdom.  There  is  nothing 
that  he  cannot  do.  Now  tell  me,  O  king,  plump  and  plain, 
will  you  give  your  daughter  to  my  son  as  wife  ? " 

The  king  listened  to  the  end  of  the  old  woman's  strange 
request,  but  every  moment  his  face  grew  blacker  and  his 
features  sterner,  till  all  at  once  he  thought  to  himself, 
"It  is  worth  while  that  I,  the  king,  should  be  angry  with 
this  poor  old  fool  ? "  And  all  the  courtiers  and  counselors 
were  amazed  when  they  saw  the  hard  lines  around  his 
mouth  and  the  frown  on  his  brow  grow  smooth,  and  heard 
the  mild,  but  mocking  tones  in  which  he  answered  the  old 
woman,  saying: 

"  If  your  son  is  as  wonderfully  clever  as  you  say,  and  if 
there  is  nothing  in  the  world  that  he  cannot  do,  let  him 
build  a  magnificent  castle,  just  opposite  my  palace  windows, 
in  twenty-four  hours.  The  palace  must  be  joined  together 
by  a  bridge  of  pure  crystal.  On  each  side  of  the  bridge 
there  must  be  growing  trees,  having  golden  and  silver  ap- 
ples and  with  birds-of -paradise  among  the  branches.  At  the 
right  of  the  bridge  there  must  be  a  church  with  five  golden 
cupolas.  In  this  church  your  son  shall  be  wedded  to  my 
daughter,  and  we  will  keep  the  wedding  festivities  in  the 
new  castle.  But  if  he  fails  to  execute  this  my  royal  com- 
mand, then,  as  a  just  but  mild  monarch,  I  shall  give  orders 
that  you  and  he  are  taken  and  first  dipped  in  tar  and  then 
in  feathers,  and  you  shall  be  executed  in  the  market-place 
for  the  entertainment  of  my  courtiers." 

And  a  smile  played  round  the  king's  lips  as  he  finished 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  195 

speaking,  and  his  courtiers  and  counselors  shook  with  laugh- 
ter when  they  thought  of  the  old  woman's  folly,  and  praised 
the  king's  wise  device  and  said  to  each  other:  "  What  a  joke 
it  will  be  when  we  see  the  pair  of  them  tarred  and  feathered ! 
The  son  is  just  as  able  to  grow  a  beard  on  the  palm  of  his 
hand  as  to  execute  such  a  task  in  twenty-four  hours." 

Now,  the  poor  old  woman  was  mortally  afraid,  and  in  a 
trembling  voice  she  asked: 

"  Is  that  really  your  royal  will,  O  king  ?  Must  I  take 
this  order  to  my  poor  son  ? " 

"  Yes,  old  dame ;  such  is  my  command.  If  your  son 
carries  out  my  order  he  shall  be  rewarded  with  my  daughter ; 
but  if  he  fails,  away  to  the  tar-barrel  and  the  stake  with  you 
both!" 

On  her  way  home,  the  poor  old  woman  shed  bitter  tears, 
and  when  she  saw  Martin  she  told  him  what  the  king  had 
said,  and  sobbed  out: 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you,  my  son,  that  you  should  marry  some- 
one of  your  own  rank?  It  would  have  been  better  for  us 
this  day  if  you  had.  As  I  told  you,  my  going  to  court  has 
been  as  much  as  our  lives  are  worth,  and  now  we  will  both 
he  tarred  and  feathered  and  burned  in  the  public  market- 
place. It  is  terrible !  "  And  she  moaned  and  cried. 

"  Never  fear,  little  mother !  "  answered  Martin.  "  Trust 
me,  and  you  will  see  that  all  will  be  well.  You  may  go  to 
sleep  with  a  quiet  mind." 

And  stepping  to  the  front  of  the  hut  Martin  threw  his 
ring  from  the  palm  of  one  hand  into  the  other,  upon  which 
twelve  youths  instantly  appeared  and  demanded  what  he 
wanted  them  to  do.  Then  he  told  them  the  king's  com- 
mands, and  they  answered  that  by  next  morning  all  should 
be  accomplished  exactly  as  the  king  had  ordered. 

Next  morning  when  the  king  awoke  and  looked  out  of  his 
window,  to  his  amazement  he  beheld  a  magnificent  castle, 
just  opposite  his  own  palace,  and  joined  to  it  by  a  bridge  of 
pure  crystal. 

At  each  side  of  the  bridge  trees  were  growing  from  whose 
branches  hung  golden  and  silver  apples  among  which  birds- 
of-paradise  perched.  At  the  right,  gleaming  in  the  sun, 
were  the  five  golden  cupolas  of  a  splendid  church,  whose  bells 
rang  out  as  if  they  would  summon,  people  from  all  corners 


196         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

of  the  earth  to  come  and  behold  the  wonder.  Now,  though 
the  king  would  much  rather  have  seen  his  future  son-in-law 
tarred,  feathered,  and  burned  at  the  stake,  he  remembered 
his  royal  oath  and  had  to  make  the  best  of  a  bad  business. 
So  he  took  heart  of  grace  and  made  Martin  a  duke,  and  gave 
his  daughter  a  rich  dowry,  and  prepared  the  grandest  wed- 
ding-feast that  had  ever  been  seen,  so  that  to  this  day  the  old 
people  in  this  country  still  talk  of  it. 

After  the  wedding  Martin  and  his  royal  bride  went  to 
dwell  in  the  magnificent  new  palace,  and  here  Martin  lived 
in  the  greatest  comfort  and  luxury,  such  luxury  as  he  had 
never  imagined.  But  though  he  was  as  happy  as  the  day 
was  long  and  as  merry  as  a  grig,  the  king's  daughter  fretted 
all  day,  thinking  of  the  indignity  that  had  been  done  her 
in  making  her  marry  Martin,  the  poor  widow's  son,  instead 
of  a  rich  young  prince  from  a  foreign  country.  So  unhappy 
was  she  that  she  spent  all  her  time  wondering  how  she 
should  get  rid  of  her  undesirable  husband.  And  first  she 
determined  to  learn  the  secret  of  his  power,  and  with  flat- 
tering, caressing  words  she  tried  to  coax  him  to  tell  her 
how  he  was  so  clever  that  there  was  nothing  in  the  world 
that  he  could  not  do.  At  first  he  would  tell  her  nothing; 
but  once,  when  he  was  in  a  yielding  mood,  she  approached 
him  with  a  winning  smile  on  her  lovely  face,  and  speaking 
flattering  words  to  him  she  gave  him  a  potion  to  drink, 
with  a  sweet,  strong  taste.  And  when  he  had  drunk  it 
Martin's  lips  were  unsealed,  and  he  told  her  that  all  his 
power  lay  in  the  magic  ring  that  he  wore  on  his  finger,  and 
he  described  to  her  how  to  use  it,  and  still  speaking  he  fell 
into  a  deep  sleep.  And  when  she  saw  that  the  potion  had 
worked  and  that  he  was  sound  asleep,  the  princess  took 
the  magic  ring  from  his  finger,  and  going  into  the  court- 
yard she  threw  it  from  the  palm  of  one  hand  into  the  other. 
On  the  instant  the  twelve  youths  appeared  and  asked  her 
what  she  commanded  them  to  do.  Then  she  told  them 
that  by  the  next  morning  they  were  to  do  away  with  the 
castle,  and  the  bridge,  and  the  church,  and  put  in  their 
stead  the  humble  hut  in  which  Martin  used  to  live  with  his 
mother,  and  that  while  he  slept  her  husband  was  to 
carried  to  his  old  lowly  room;  and  that  they  were  to  bear 
her  away  to  the  utmost  ends  of  the  earth,  where  an  old 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.          197 

king  lived  who  would  make  her  welcome  in  his  palace  and 
surround  her  with  the  state  that  befitted  a  royal  princess. 

"  You  shall  be  obeyed,"  answered  the  twelve  youths  at 
the  same  moment.  And,  lo  and  behold!  the  following  morn- 
ing when  the  king  woke  and  looked  out  of  his  window 
he  beheld  to  his  amazement  that  the  palace,  bridge,  church, 
and  trees  had  all  vanished,  and  there  was  nothing  in  their 
place  but  a  bare,  miserable-looking  hut. 

Immediately  the  king  sent  for  his  son-in-law  and  com- 
manded him  to  explain  what  had  happened.  But  Martin 
looked  at  his  royal  father-in-law  and  answered  never  a  word. 
Then  the  king  was  very  angry,  and  calling  a  council  to- 
gether, he  charged  Martin  with  having  been  guilty  of  witch- 


craft and  of  having  deceived  the  king,  and  having  made 
away  with  the  princess ;  and  he  was  condemned  to  imprison- 
ment in  a  high  stone  tower,  with  neither  meat  nor  drink, 
till  he  should  die  of  starvation. 

Then,  in  the  hour  of  his  dire  necessity,  his  old  friends 
Schurka  (the  dog)  and  Waska  (the  cat)  remembered  how 
Martin  had  once  saved  them  from  a  cruel  death;  and  they 
took  counsel  together  as  to  how  they  should  help  him.  And 
Schurka  growled  and  was  of  opinion  that  he  would  like 
to  tear  everyone  in  pieces;  but  Waska  purred  meditatively, 
scratched  the  back  of  her  ear  with  a  velvet  paw,  and  re- 
mained lost  in  thought.  At  the  end  of  a  few  minutes  she 
had  made  up  her  mind,  and,  turning  to  Schurka,  said: 
"  Let  us  go  together  into  the  town,  and  the  moment  we  meet 


198         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

a  baker  you  must  make  a  rush  between  his  legs  and  upset 
the  tray  from  off  his  head.  I  will  lay  hold  of  the  rolls  and 
will  carry  them  off  to  our  master."  No  sooner  said  than 
done.  Together  the  two  faithful  creatures  trotted  off  into 
the  town,  and  very  soon  they  met  a  baker  bearing  a  tray  on 
his  head  and  looking  round  on  all  sides  while  he  cried: 

"  Fresh  rolls,  sweet  cake, 

Fancy  bread  of  every  kind. 
Come  and  buy,  come  and  take, 
Sure  you'll  find  it  to  your  mind." 

At  that  moment  Schurka  made  a  rush  between  his  legs — 
the  baker  stumbled,  the  tray  was  upset,  the  rolls  fell  to  the 
ground,  and  while  the  man  angrily  pursued  Schurka,  Waska 
managed  to  drag  the  rolls  out  of  sight  behind  a  bush.  And 
when  a  moment  later  Schurka  joined  her,  they  set  off  at  full 
tilt  for  the  stone  tower  where  Martin  was  a  prisoner,  tak- 
ing the  rolls  with  them.  Waska,  being  very  agile,  climbed 
up  by  the  outside  to  the  grated  window  and  called  in  an 
anxious  voice: 

"  Are  you  alive,  master  ?  " 

"  Scarcely  alive — almost  starved  to  death,"  answered  Mar- 
tin in  a  weak  voice.  "  I  little  thought  it  would  come  to  this, 
that  I  should  die  of  hunger." 

"  Never  fear,  dear  master.  Schurka  and  I  will  look  after 
you,"  said  Waska.  And  in  another  moment  she  had  climbed 
down  and  brought  him  back  a  roll,  and  then  another  and 
another,  till  she  had  brought  him  the  whole  tray-load.  Upon 
which  she  said :  "  Dear  master,  Schurka  and  I  are  going 
off  to  a  distant  kingdom  at  the  utmost  ends  of  the  earth  to 
fetch  you  back  your  magic  ring.  You  must  be  careful  that 
the  rolls  last  you  till  our  return." 

And  Waska  toek  leave  of  her  beloved  master  and  set  off 
with  Schurka  on  their  Journey.  On  and  on  they  traveled, 
looking  always  to  right  and  left  for  traces  of  the  princess, 
following  up  every  track,  making  inquiries  of  every  cat 
and  dog  they  met,  listening  to  the  talk  of  every  wayfarer 
they  passed;  and  at  last  they  heard  that  the  kingdom  at 
the  utmost  ends  of  the  earth,  where  the  twelve  youths  had 
borne  the  princess,  was  not  very  far  off.  And  one  day  they 
reached  that  distant  kingdom,  and,  going  at  once  to  the 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 


199 


palace,  they  began  to  make  friends  with  all  the  dogs  and  cats 
in  the  place  and  to  question  them  about  the  princess 
and  the  magic  ring;  but  no  one  could  tell  them  much  about 
either.  Now,  one  day  it  chanced  that  Waska  had  gone 
down  to  the  palace  cellar  to  hunt  for  mice .  and  rats,  and 
seeing  an  especially  fat,  well-fed  mouse,  she  pounced  upon 
it,  buried  her  claws  in  its  soft  fur,  and  was  just  going  to 
gobble  it  up,  when  she  was  stopped  by  the  pleading  tones 
of  the  little  creature,  saying :  "  If  you  will  only  spare  my 


Schurka  Upsets  the  Baker. 

life  I  will  be  of  great  service  to  you.  I  will  do  everything 
in  my  power  for  you;  for  I  am  the  king  of  the  mice,  and  if 
I  perish  the  whole  race  will  die  out." 

"  So  be  it,"  said  Waska.  "  I  will  spare  your  life,  but  in 
return  you  must  do  something  for  me.  In  this  castle  there 
lives  a  princess,  the  wicked  wife  of  my  dear  master.  She 
has  stolen  away  his  magic  ring.  You  must  get  it  away 
from  her  at  whatever  cost.  Do  you  hear?  Till  you  have 
done  this  I  won't  take  my  claws  out  of  your  fur." 


200         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

"  Good !  "  replied  the  mouse.  "  I  will  do  what  you  ask." 
And  so  saying,  he  summoned  all  the  mice  in  his  kingdom 
together.  A  countless  number  of  mice,  small  and  big, 
brown  and  gray,  assembled  and  formed  a  circle  round  their 
king,  who  was  a  prisoner  under  Waska's  claws.  Turning 
to  them,  he  said :  "  Dear  and  faithful  subjects,  whoever 
among  you  will  steal  the  magic  ring  from  the  strange  prin- 
cess will  release  me  from  a  cruel  death,  and  I  shall  honor 
him  above  all  the  other  mice  in  the  kingdom." 

Instantly  a  tiny  mouse  stepped  forward  and  said :  "  I 
often  creep  about  the  princess'  bedroom  at  night,  and  I 
have  noticed  that  she  has  a  ring  that  she  treasures  as  the 
apple  of  her  eye.  All  day  she  wears  it  on  her  finger,  and 
at  night  she  keeps  it  in  her  mouth.  I  will  undertake,  sire, 
to  steal  away  the  ring  for  you." 

And  the  tiny  mouse  tripped  away  into  the  bedroom  of  the 
princess  and  waited  for  nightfall;  then,  when  the  princess 
had  fallen  asleep,  it  crept  up  on  to  her  bed  and  gnawed  a 
hole  in  the  pillow,  through  which  it  dragged  one  by  one 
little  down  feathers  and  threw  them  under  the  princess'  nose. 
And  the  fluff  flew  into  the  princess'  nose  and  into  her  mouth, 
and  starting  up  she  sneezed  and  coughed,  and  the  ring  fell 
out  of  her  mouth  on  to  the  coverlet.  In  a  flash  the  tiny 
mouse  had  seized  it  and  brought  it  to  Waska  as  a  ransom 
for  the  king  of  the  mice.  Thereupon  Waska  and  Schurka 
started  off  and  traveled  night  and  day  till  they  reached  the 
stone  tower  where  Martin  was  imprisoned;  and  the  cat 
climbed  up  the  window  and  called  out  to  him: 

"  Martin,  dear  master,  are  you  still  alive  ?  " 

"  Ah,  Waska !  my  faithful  little  cat,  is  that  you  ?  "  replied 
a  weak  voice.  "  I  am  dying  of  hunger.  For  three  days  I 
have  not  tasted  food." 

"  Be  of  good  heart,  dear  master,"  replied  Waska.  "  From 
this  day  forth  you  will  know  nothing  but  happiness  and 
prosperity.  If  this  were  a  moment  to  trouble  you  with 
riddles,  I  would  make  you  guess  what  Schurka  and  I  have 
brought  you  back.  Only  think,  we  have  got  your  ring !  " 

At  these  words  Martin's  joy  knew  no  bounds,  and  he 
stroked  her  fondly,  and  she  rubbed  up  against  him  and 
purred  happily,  while  below  Schurka  bounded  in  the  air 
and  barked  joyfully.  Then  Martin  took  the  ring  and  threw 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


201 


it  from  one  hand  into  the  other,  and  instantly  the  twelve 
youths  appeared  and  asked  what  they  were  to  do. 

"Fetch  me  first  something  to  eat  and  drink  as  quickly 
as  possible ;  and  after  that  bring  musicians  hither  and  let  us. 
have  music  all  day  long." 

Now,  when  the  people  in  the  town  and  palace  heard 
music  coming  from  the  tower  they  were  filled  with  amaze- 
ment, and  came  to  the  king  with  the  news  that  witchcraft 
must  be  going  on  in  Martin's  tower,  for  instead  of  dying  of 


starvation  he  was  seemingly  making  merry  to  the  sound 
of  music  and  to  the  clatter  of  plates  and  glasses  and  knives 
and  forks;  and  the  music  was  so  enchantingly  sweet  that 
all  the  passers-by  stood  still  to  listen  to  it.  On  this  the 
king  sent  at  once  a  messenger  to  Starvation  Tower,  and  he 
was  so  astonished  with  what  he  saw  that  he  remained  rooted 
to  the  spot.  Then  the  king  sent  his  chief  counselors,  and 
they  too  were  transfixed  with  wonder.  At  last  the  king 


202  THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

came  himself,  and  he  likewise  was  spellbound  by  the  beauty 
of  the  music. 

Then  Martin  summoned  the  twelve  youths  and  said  to 
them :  "  Build  up  my  castle  again  and  join  it  to  the  king's 
palace  with  a  crystal  bridge.  Do  not  forget  the  trees  with 
the  golden  and  silver  apples  and  with  the  birds-of-paradise 
in  the  branches,  and  put  back  the  church  with  the  five 
cupolas,  and  let  the  bells  ring  out,  summoning  the  people 
from  the  four  corners  of  the  kingdom.  And  one  thing 
more:  bring  back  my  faithless  wife  and  lead  her  into  the 
women's  chamber." 

And  it  was  all  done  as  he  commanded,  and  leaving  Starva- 
tion Tower  he  took  the  king,  his  father-in-law,  by  the  arm 
and  led  him  into  the  new  palace,  where  the  princess  sat  in 
fear  and  trembling,  awaiting  her  death.  And  Martin  spoke 
to  the  king,  saying :  "  King  and  royal  father,  I  have  suffered 
much  at  the  hands  of  your  daughter.  What  punishment 
shall  be  dealt  to  her?" 

Then  the  mild  king  answered :  "  Beloved  prince  and 
son-in-law,  if  you  love  me,  let  your  anger  be  turned  to 
grace — forgive  my  daughter  and  restore  her  to  your  heart 
and  favor." 

And  Martin's  heart  was  softened  and  he  forgave  his 
wife,  and  they  lived  happily  together  ever  after.  And  his 
old  mother  came  and  lived  with  them,  and  he  never  parted 
with  Schurka  and  Waska;  and  I  need  hardly  tell  you  that 
he  never  again  let  the  ring  out  of  his  possession. 


THE  FLOWEK  QUEEN'S  DAUGHTER* 

A  young  prince  was  riding  one  day  through  a  meadow 
that  stretched  for  miles  in  front  of  him,  when  he  came  to  a 
deep,  open  ditch.  He  was  turning  aside  to  avoid  it,  when 
he  heard  the  sound  of  someone  crying  in  the  ditch.  He 
dismounted  from  his  horse  and  stepped  along  in  the  direc- 
tion the  sound  came  from.  To  his  astonishment  he  found 
an  old  woman,  who  begged  him  to  help  her  out  of  the 
ditch.  The  prince  bent  down  and  lifted  her  out  of  ker  lir- 

*From  the  "  Bukowinaer."    Von  Wliolocki. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         203 

ing  grave,  asking  her  at  the  $ame  time  how  she  had  managed 
to  get  there. 

"My  son,"  answered  the  old  woman,  "I  am  a  very  poor 
woman,  and  soon  after  midnight  I  set  out  for  the  neigh- 
boring town  in  order  to  sell  my  eggs  in  the  market  on  the 
following  morning;  but  I  lost  my  way  in  the  dark  and  fell 
into  this  deep  ditch,  where  I  might  have  remained  forever 
but  for  your  kindness." 

Then  the  prince  said  to  her :  "  You  can  hardly  walk.  I 
will  put  you  on  my  horse  and  lead  you  home.  Where  do 
you  live  ? " 

"  Over  there  at  the  edge  of  the  forest,  in  the  little  hut 
you  see  in  the  distance,"  replied  the  old  woman. 

The  prince  lifted  her  onto  his  horse,  and  soon  they  reached 
the  hut,  where  the  old  woman  got  down,  and,  turning  to 
the  prince,  said :  "  Just  wait  a  moment  and  I  will  give  you 
something."  And  she  disappeared  into  her  hut,  but  re- 
turned very  soon  and  said :  "  You  are  a  mighty  prince, 
but  at  the  same  time  you  have  a  kind  heart  which  deserves 
to  be  rewarded.  Would  you  like  to  have  the  most  beautiful 
woman  in  the  world  for  your  wife  ? " 

"  Most  certainly  I  would,"  replied  the  prince. 

So  the  old  woman  continued :  "  The  most  beautiful 
woman  in  the  whole  world  is  the  daughter  of  the  queen  of 
the  flowers,  who  has  been  captured  by  a  dragon.  If  you 
wish  to  marry  her  you  must  first  set  her  free,  and  this  I 
will  help  you  to  do.  I  will  give  you  this  little  bell.  If  you 
ring  it  once  the  king  of  the  eagles  will  appear;  if  you  ring 
it  twice  the  king  of  the  foxes  will  come  to  you;  and  if  you 
ring  it  three  times  you  will  see  the  king  of  the  fishes  by  your 
side.  These  will  help  you  if  you  are  in  any  difficulty.  Now 
farewell,  and  Heaven  prosper  your  undertaking ! "  She 
handed  him  the  little  bell,  and  then  disappeared  hut  and 
all,  as  though  the  earth  had  swallowed  her  up. 

Then  it  dawned  on  the  prince  that  he  had  been  speaking 
to  a  good  fairy;  and,  putting  the  little  bell  carefully  in  his 
pocket,  he  rode  home  and  told  his  father  that  he  meant  to 
set  the  daughter  of  the  flower  queen  free,  and  intended 
setting  out  on  the  following  day  into  the  wide  world  in 
search  of  the  maid. 

So  the  next  morning  the  prince  mounted  his  fine  horse 


204         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

and  left  his  home.  He  had  roamed  round  the  world  for  a 
whole  year,  and  his  horse  had  died  of  exhaustion,  while  he 
himself  had  suffered  much  from  want  and  misery,  but  still 
he  had  come  on  no  trace  of  her  he  was  in  search  of.  At 
last  one  day  he  came  to  a  hut,  in  front  of  which  sat  a  very 
old  man.  The  prince  asked  him :  "  Do  you  not  know  where 
the  dragon  lives  who  keeps  the  daughter  of  the  flower  queen 
prisoner  ? " 

"  No,  I  do  not,"  answered  the  old  man.  "  But  if  you  go 
straight  along  this  road  for  a  year  you  will  reach  a  hut 
where  my  father  lives,  and  possibly  he  can  tell  you." 

The  prince  thanked  him  for  his  information  and  con- 
tinued his  journey  for  a  whole  year  along  the  same  road,  and 
at  the  end  of  it  came  to  the  little  hut,  where  he  found  a 
very  old  man.  He  asked  him  the  same  question,  and  the 
old  man  answered :  "  No,  I  do  not  know  where  the  dragon 
lives.  But  go  straight  along  this  road  for  anpther  year,  and 
you  will  come  to  a  hut  in  which  my  father  lives.  I  know 
he  can  tell  you." 

And  so  the  prince  wandered  on  for  another  year,  always 
on  the  same  road,  and  at  last  reached  the  hut,  where  he 
found  the  third  old  man.  He  put  the  same  question  to 
him  as  he  had  put  to  his  son  and  grandson;  but  this  time 
the  old  man  answered :  "  The  dragon  lives  up  there  on  the 
mountain,  and  he  has  just  begun  his  year  of  sleep.  For 
one  whole  year  he  is  always  awake,  and  the  next  he  sleeps. 
But  if  you  wish  to  see  the  flower  queen's  daughter  go  up 
the  second  mountain.  The  dragon's  old  mother  lives  there, 
and  she  has  a  ball  every  night,  to  which  the  flower  queen's 
daughter  goes  regularly." 

So  the  prince  went  up  the  second  mountain,  where  he 
found  a  castle  all  made  of  gold  with  diamond  windows. 
He  opened  the  big  gate  leading  into  the  court -yard  and  was 
just  going  to  walk  in,  when  seven  dragons  rushed  on  him 
and  asked  him  what  he  wanted. 

The  prince  replied :  "  I  have  heard  so  much  of  the  beauty 
and  kindness  of  the  dragon's  mother,  and  would  like  to  enter 
her  service." 

This  flattering  speech  pleased  the  dragons,  and  the  eldest 
of  them  said :  "  Well,  you  may  come  with  me  and  I  will 
take  you  to  the  mother  dragon." 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


205 


They  entered  the  castle  and  walked  through  twelve  splen- 
did halls,  all  made  of  gold  and  diamonds.  In  the  twelfth 
room  they  found  the  mother  dragon  seated  on  a  diamond 
throne.  She  was  the  ugliest  woman  under  the  sun,  and, 
added  to  it  all,  she  had  three  heads.  Her  appearance  was 
a  great  shock  to  the  prince,  and  so  was  her  voice,  which  was 
like  the  croaking  of  many  ravens.  She  asked  him :  "  Why 
have  you  come  here  ? " 

The  prince  answered  at  once :    "  I  have  heard  so  much  of 


The  Dragon.;:   PanclnS  .  Ji r->— * 


your  beauty  and  kindness  that  I  would  very  much  like  to 
enter  your  service." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  mother  dragon ;  "  but  if  you  wish 
to  enter  my  service  you  must  first  lead  my  mare  out  to  the 
meadow  and  look  after  her  for  three  days;  but  if  you  don't 
bring  her  home  safely  every  evening  we  will  eat  you  up." 


206         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

The  prince  undertook  the  task,  and  led  the  mare  out  to 
the  meadow.  But  no  sooner  had  they  reached  the  grass 
than  she  vanished.  The  prince  sought  for  her  in  vain, 
and  at  last  in  despair  sat  down  on  a  big  stone  and  con- 
templated his  sad  fate.  As  he  sat  thus  lost  in  thought  he 
noticed  an  eagle  flying  over  his  head.  Then  he  suddenly 
bethought  him  of  his  little  bell,  and  taking  it  out  of  his 
pocket  he  rang  it  once.  In  a  moment  he  heard  a  rustling 
sound  in  the  air  beside  him,  and  the  king  of  eagles  sank 
at  his  feet. 

"  I  know  what  you  want  of  me,"  the  bird  said.  "  You 
are  looking  for  the  mother  dragon's  mare,  who  is  galloping 
about  among  the  clouds.  I  will  summon  all  the  eagles  of 
the  air  together  and  order  them  to  catch  the  mare  and  bring 
her  to  you."  And  with  these  words  the  king  of  the  eagles 
flew  away.  Toward  evening  the  prince  heard  a  mighty 
rushing  sound  in  the  air,  and  when  he  looked  up  he  saw 
thousands  of  eagles  driving  the  mare  before  them.  They 
sank  at  his  feet  on  to  the  ground  and  gave  the  mare  over 
to  him.  Then  the  prince  rode  home  to  the  old  mother 
dragon,  who  was  full  of  wonder  when  she  saw  him,  and 
said:  "You  have  succeeded  to-day  in  looking  after  my 
mare,  and  as  a  reward  you  shall  come  to  my  ball  to-night." 
She  gave  him  at  the  same  time  a  cloak  made  of  copper  and 
led  him  into  a  big  room  where  several  young  he-dragons  and 
she-dragons  were  dancing  together.  Here,  too,  was  the 
flower  queen's  beautiful  daughter.  Her  dress  was  woven 
out  of  the  most  lovely  flowers  in  the  world,  and  her  com- 
plexion was  like  lilies  and  roses.  As  the  prince  was  danc- 
ing with  her  he  managed  to  whisper  in  her  ear :  "  I  have 
come  to  set  you  free ! " 

Then  the  beautiful  girl  said  to  him :  "  If  you  succeed  in 
bringing  the  mare  back  safely  the  third  day,  ask  the 
mother  dragon  to  give  you  a  foal  of  the  mare  as  a  reward 
for  your  services." 

The  ball  came  to  an  end  at  midnight,  and  early  next 
morning  the  prince  again  led  the  mother  dragon's  mare 
out  into  the  meadow.  But  again  she  vanished  before  his 
eyes.  Then  he  took  out  his  little  bell  and  rang  it  twice. 

In  a  moment  the  king  of  the  foxes  stood  before  him  and 
said:  "I  know  already  what  you  want,  and  will  summon 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


207 


all  the  foxes  of  the  world  together  to  find  the  mare,  who  haa 
hidden  herself  in  a  hill." 

With  these  words  the  king  of  the  foxes  disappeared,  and 


IN-WINTEtC-WHEN-EVERyTKING-IS-DCA 
ST-COME-AND-LIVE-WITH 
P  A  LAC  E  *  UN  DC  R£,ROU  ND  -"^^ 


in  the  evening  many  thousand  foxes  brought  the  mare  to 
the  prince. 

Then  he  rode  home  to  the  mother  dragon,  from  whom  he 
received  this  time  a  cloak  made  of  silver,  and  again  she  led 
him  to  the  ballroom. 


208          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

The  flower  queen's  daughter  was  delighted  to  see  him 
safe  and  sound,  and  when  they  were  dancing  together  she 
whispered  in  his  ear:  "If  you  succeed  again  to-morrow, 
wait  for  me  with  the  foal  in  the  meadow,.  After  the  ball  we 
will  fly  away  together." 

On  the  third  day  the  prince  led  the  mare  to  the  meadow 
again,  but  once  more  she  vanished  before  his  eyes.  Then 
the  prince  took  out  his  little  bell  and  rang  it  three  times. 

In  a  moment  the  king  of  the  fishes  appeared  and  said  to 
him :  "  I  know  quite  well  what  you  want  me  to  do,  and  I 
will  summon  all  the  fishes  of  the  sea  together  and  tell  them 
to  bring  you  back  the  mare,  who  is  hiding  herself  in  a 
river." 

Toward  evening  the  mare  was  returned  to  him,  and  when 
he  led  her  home  to  the  mother  dragon  she  said  to  him : 

"You  are  a  brave  youth  and  I  will  make  you  my  body- 
servant.  But  what  shall  I  give  you  as  a  reward  to  begin 
with?" 

The  prince  begged  for  a  foal  of  the  mare,  which  the 
mother  dragon  at  once  gave  to  him,  and,  over  and  above,  a 
cloak  made  of  gold,  for  she  had  fallen  in  love  with  him  be- 
cause he  had  praised  her  beauty. 

So  in  the  evening  he  appeared  at  the  ball  in  his  golden 
cloak,  but'  before  the  entertainment  was  over  he  slipped 
away  and  went  straight  to  the  stables,  where  he  mounted 
his  foal  and  rode  out  into  the  meadow  to  wait  for  the 
flower  queen's  daughter.  Toward  midnight  the  beautiful 
girl  appeared,  and,  placing  her  in  front  of  him  on  his  horse, 
the  prince  and  she  flew  like  the  wind  till  they  reached  the 
flower  queen's  dwelling.  But  the  dragons  had  noticed  their 
flight  and  woke  their  brother  out  of  his  year's  sleep.  He 
flew  into  a  terrible  rage  when  he  heard  what  had  happened, 
and  determined  to  lay  siege  to  the  flower  queen's  palace; 
but  the  queen  caused  a  forest  of  flowers  as  high  as  the  sky 
to  grow  up  round  her  dwelling,  through  which  no  one  could 
force  a  way. 

When  the  flower  queen  heard  that  her  daughter  wanted 
to  marry  the  prince  she  said  to  him :  "  I  will  give  my  con- 
sent to  your  marriage  gladly,  but  my  daughter  can  only 
stay  with  you  in  summer.  In  winter,  when  everything  is 
dead  and  the  ground  covered  with  snow,  she  must  come 


THE   YELLOW    FAIEY    BOOK.  209 

and  live  with  me  in  my  palace  underground."  The  prince 
consented  to  this  and  led  his  beautiful  bride  home,  where 
the  wedding  was  held  with  great  pomp  and  magnificence, 
the  young  couple  lived  happily  together  till  winter  came, 
when  the  flower  queen's  daughter  departed  and  went  home 
to  her  mother.  In  summer  she  returned  to  her  husband, 
and  their  life  of  joy  and  happiness  began  again  and  lasted 
till  the  approach  of  winter,  when  the  flower  queen's  daughter 
went  back  again  to  her  mother.  This  coming  and  going  con- 
tinued all  her  life  long,  and  in  spite  of  it  they  always  lived 
happily  together. 


THE  FLYING  SHIP  * 

Once  upon  a  time  there  lived  an  old  couple  who  had 
three  sons.  The  two  elder  were  clever,  but  the  third  was  a 
regular  dunce.  The  clever  sons  were  very  fond  of  their 
mother,  gave  her  good  clothes,  and  always  spoke  pleasantly 
to  her;  but  the  youngest  was  always  getting  in  her  way,  and 
;she  had  no  patience  with  him.  Now,  one  day  it  was 
announced  in  the  village  that  the  king  had  issued  a  decree 
offering  his  daughter,  the  princess,  in  marriage  to  whoever 
should  build  a  ship  that  could  fly.  Immediately  the  two 
elder  brothers  determined  to  try  their  luck,  and  asked  their 
parents'  blessing.  So  the  old  mother  smartened  up  their 
clothes  and  g^ve  them  a  store  of  provisions  for  their  journey, 
not  forgetting  to  add  a  bottle  of  brandy.  When  they  had 
gone  the  poor  simpleton  began  to  tease  his  mother  to  smarten 
him  up  and  Jet  him  start  off. 

"What  would  become  of  a  dolt  like  you?"  she  answered. 
"  Why,  you  would  be  eaten  up  by  wolves." 

But  the  foolish  youth  kept  repeating:  "I  will  go,  I  will 
go,  I  will  go !  " 

Seeing  that  she  could  do  nothing  with  him,  the  mother 
gave  him  a  crust  of  bread  and  a  bottle  of  water  and  took  no 
further  heed  of  him. 

So  the  simpleton  set  off  on  his  way.  When  he  had  gone 
a  short  distance  he  met  a  little  old  manikin.  They  greeted 

*  From  the  Russian. 


210         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

one  another  and  the  manikin  asked  him  where  he  was 
going. 

"  I  am  off  to  the  king's  court,"  he  answered.  "  He  has 
promised  to  give  his  daughter  to  whoever  can  make  a  flying 
ship." 

"And  can  you  make  such  a  ship?" 

"Not  I." 

"  Then  why  in  the  world  are  you  going  ? " 

"  Can't  tell,"  replied  the  simpleton. 

"Well,  if  that  is  the  case,"  said  the  manikin,  "sit  down 
heside  me.  We  can  rest  for  a  little  and  have  something  to 
eat.  Give  me  what  you  have  got  in  your  satchel." 

Now  the  poor  simpleton  was  ashamed  to  show  what 
was  in  it.  However,  he  thought  it  best  not  to  make  a  fuss, 
so  he  opened  the  satchel,  and  could  scarcely  believe  his  own 
eyes,  for  instead  of  the  hard  crust  he  saw  two  beautiful 
fresh  rolls  and  some  cold  meat.  He  shared  them  with  the 
manikin,  who  licked  his  lips  and  said: 

"  Now,  go  into  that  wood  and  stop  in  front  of  the  first 
tree,  bow  three  times,  and  then  strike  the  tree  with  your 
ax,  fall  on  y.our  knees  on  the  ground,  with  your  face  on  the 
earth,  and  remain  there  till  you  are  raised  up.  You  will 
then  find  a  ship  at  your  side.  Step  into  it  and  fly  to  the 
king's  palace.  If  you  meet  anyone  on  the  way,  take  him 
with  you." 

The  simpleton  thanked  the  manikin  very  kindly,  bade 
him  farewell,  and  went  into  the  wood.  When  he  got  to 
the  first  tree  he  stopped  in  front  of  it,  did  everything  just 
as  he  had  been  told,  and,  kneeling  on  the  ground  with  his 
face  to  the  earth,  fell  asleep.  After  a  little  time  he  was 
aroused.  He  woke  and,  rubbing  his  eyes,  saw  a  ready- 
made  ship  at  his  side,  and  at  once  got  into  it.  And  the 
ship  rose  and  rose,  and  in  another  ^ninute  was  flying  through 
the  air,  when  the  simpleton,  who  was  on  the  lookout,  cast 
his  eyes  down  on  the  earth  and  saw  a  man  beneath  him  on 
the  road,  who  was  kneeling  with  his  ear  upon  the  damp 
ground. 

"Halloo!"  he  called  out.  "What  are  you  doing  down 
there?" 

"  I  am  listening  to  what  is  going  on  in  the  world,"  replied 
the  man. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


211 


"  Come  with  me  in  my  ship,"  said  the  simpleton. 

So  the  man  was  only  too  glad,  and  got  in  beside  him; 

id  the  ship  flew,  and  flew,  and  flew  through  the  air,  till 
again  from  his  outlook  the  simpleton  saw  a  man  on  the 
road  below  who  was  hopping  on  one  leg,  while  his  other 
leg  was  tied  up  behind  his  ear.  So  he  hailed  him,  calling 
out: 

"  Halloo !     What  are  you  doing,  hopping  on  one  leg  ?  " 

"  I  can't  help  it,"  replied  the  man.     "  I  walk  so  fast  that 


unless  I  tied  up  one  leg  I  should  be  at  the  end  of  the  earth 
in  a  bound." 

"  Come  with  us  in  my  ship,"  he  answered ;  and  the  man 
made  no  objections,  but  joined  them.  And  the  ship  flew 
on,  and  on,  and  on,  till  suddenly  the  simpleton,  looking 
down  on  the  road  below,  beheld  a  man  aiming  with  a  gun 
into  the  distance. 

"  Halloo !  "  he  shouted  to  him.  "  What  are  you  aiming  at  ? 
As  far  as  eye  can  see,  there  is  no  bird  in  sight." 

"What  would  be  the  good  of  taking  a  near  shot?"  re- 
plied the  man.  "  I  can  hit  beast  or  bird  at  a  hundred 
miles'  distance.  That  is  the  kind  of  a  shot  I  enjoy." 


212         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

"  Come  into  the  ship  with  us,"  answered  the  simpleton ; 
and  the  man  was  only  too  glad  to  join  them,  and  he  got  in. 
And  the  ship  flew  on,  further  and  further,  till  again  the 
simpleton  from  his  outlook  saw  a  man  on  the  road  below, 
carrying  on  his  back  a  basket  full  of  bread.  And  he 
waved  to  him,  calling  out: 

"  Halloo !     Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  To  fetch  bread  for  my  breakfast." 

"Bread?  Why,  you  have  got  a  whole  basket-load  of  it 
on  your  back." 

"  That's  nothing,"  answered  the  man.  "  I  should  finish 
that  in  one  mouthful." 

"  Come  along  with  us  in  my  ship,  then." 

And  so  the  glutton  joined  the  party,  and  the  ship  mounted 
again  into  the  air  and  flew  up  and  onward,  till  the  simple- 
ton from  the  outlook  saw  a  man  walking  by  the  shore  of 
a  great  lake  and  evidently  looking  for  something. 

"  Halloo !  "  he  cried  to  him.     "  What  are  you  seeking  ?  " 

"  I  want  water  to  drink,  I'm  so  thirsty,"  replied  the  man. 

"Well,  there's  a  whole  lake  in  front  of  you.  Why  don't 
you  drink  some  of  that  ? " 

"  Do  you  call  that  enough  ?  "  answered  the  other.  "  Why, 
I  should  drink  it  up  in  one  gulp." 

"Well,  come  with  us  in  the  ship." 

And  so  the  mighty  drinker  was  added  to  the  company. 
And  the  ship  flew  further  and  even  further,  till  again  the 
simpleton  looked  out,  and  this  time  he  saw  a  man  dragging 
a  bundle  of  wood,  walking  through  the  forest  beneath  then. 

"  Halloo !  "  he  shouted  to  him.  "  Why  are  you  carrying 
wood  through  a  forest  ?  " 

"  This  is  not  common  wood,"  answered  the  other. 

"  What  sort  of  wood  is  it,  then  ?  "  said  the  simpleton. 

"  If  you  throw  it  upon  the  ground,"  said  the  man,  "  it 
will  be  changed  into  an  army  of  soldiers." 

"  Come  into  the  ship  with  us,  then." 

And  so  he  too  joined  them.  And  away  the  ship  flew  on, 
and  on,  and  on,  and  once  more  the  simpleton  looked  out, 
and  this  time  he  saw  a  man  carrying  straw  upon  his  back. 

"  Halloo !    Where  are  you  carrying  that  straw  to  ?  " 

"  To  the  village,"  said  the  man. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  there  is  no  straw  in  the  village?" 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


213 


"Ah!  but  this  is  quite  a  peculiar  straw.  If  you  strew 
it  about,  even  in  the  hottest  summer,  the  air  at  once  becomes 
cold,  and  the  snow  falls,  and  the  people  freeze." 

Then  the  simpleton  asked  him  also  to  join  them. 

At  last  the  ship,  with  its  strange  crew,  arrived  at  the 
king's  court.  The  king  was  having  his  dinner,  but  he  at 
once  dispatched  one  of  his  courtiers  to  find  out  what  the 
huge  strange  new  bird  could  be  that  had  come  flying  through 
the  air.  The  courtier  peeped  into  the  ship,  and,  seeing  what 
it  was,  instantly  went  back  to  the  king  and  told  him  that  it 
was  a  flying  ship  and  that  it  was  manned  by  a  few  peasants. 

Then  the  king  remembered  his  royal  oath;  but  he  made 


The  Comrades  in  the  Flying  Ship  Meet  the  Drinker 


up  his  mind  that  he  would  never  consent  to  let  the  prin- 
cess marry  a  poor  peasant.  So  he  thought  and  thought, 
and  then  said  to  himself,  "  I  will  give  him  some  impossible 
tasks  to  perform;  that  will  be  the  best  way  of  getting  rid 
of  him."  And  he  then  and  there  decided  to  dispatch  one 
of  his  courtiers  to  the  simpleton,  with  the  command  that 


214         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

he  was  to  fetch  the  king  the  healing  water  from  the  world's 
end  before  he  had  finished  his  dinner. 

But  while  the  king  was  still  instructing  the  courtier 
exactly  what  he  was  to  say,  the  first  man  of  the  ship's 
company,  the  one  with  the  miraculous  power  of  hearing, 
had  overheard  the  king's  words  and  hastily  reported  them 
to  the  poor  simpleton. 

"  Alas !  alas !  "  he  cried,  "  what  am  I  to  do  now  ?  It  would 
take  me  quite  a  year,  possibly  my  whole  life,  to  find  the 
water." 

"  Never  fear,"  said  his  fleet-footed  comrade.  "  I  will  fetch 
what  the  king  wants." 

Just  then  the  courtier  arrived,,  bearing  the  king's  com- 
mand. 

"Tell  his  majesty,"  said  the  simpleton,  "that  his  orders 
shall  be  obeyed."  And  forthwith  the  swift  runner  un- 
bound the  foot  that  was  strung  up  behind  his  ear  and 
started  off,  and  in  less  than  no  time  had  reached  the  world's 
end  and  drawn  the  healing  water  from  the  well. 

"Dear  me,"  he  thought  to  himself,  "that's  rather  tir- 
ing! I'll  just  rest  for  a  few  minutes.  It  will  be  some  little 
time  yet  before  the  king  has  got  to  dessert."  So  he  threw 
himself  down  on  the  grass,  and  as  the  sun  was  very  dazzling 
he  closed  his  eyes,  and  in  a  few  seconds  had  fallen  sound 
asleep. 

In  the  meantime  all  the  ship's  crew  were  anxiously 
awaiting  him;  the  king's  dinner  would  soon  be  finished, 
and  their  comrade  had  not  yet  returned.  So  the  man  with 
the  marvelous  quiek  hearing  lay  down  and,  putting  his 
ear  to  the  ground,  listened. 

"  That's  a  nice  sort  of  fellow ! "  he  suddenly  exclaimed. 
"  He's  lying  on  the  ground,  snoring  hard ! " 

At  this  the  marksman  seized  his  gun,  took  aim,  and  fired 
in  the  direction  of  the  world's  end,  in  order  to  awaken  the 
sluggard.  And  a  moment  later  the  swift  runner  reappeared 
and,  stepping  on  board  the  ship,  handed  the  healing  water  to 
the  simpleton.  So,  while  the  king  was  still  sitting  at  table 
finishing  his  dinner,  news  was  brought  to  him  that  his  orders 
had  been  obeyed  to  the  letter. 

What  was  to  be  done  now?  The  king  determined  to 
think  of  a  still  more  impossible  task.  So  he  told  another 


THE   YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK.  215 

courtier  to  go  to  the  simpleton  with  the  command  that  he 
and  his  comrades  were  instantly  to  eat  up  twelve  oxen  and 
twelve  tons  of  bread.  Once  more  the  sharp-eared  comrade 
overheard  the  king's  words  while  he  was  still  talking  to  the 
courtier,  and  reported  them  to  the  simpleton. 

"  Alas !  alas ! "  he  sighed,  "  what  in  the  world  shall  I  do  ? 
Why,  it  would  take  us  a  year,  possibly  our  whole  lives,  to 
eat  up  twelve  whole  oxen  and  twelve  tons  of  bread." 

"Never  fear,"  said  the  glutton.  "It  will  scarcely  be 
enough  for  me,  I'm  so  hungry." 

So  when  the  courtier  arrived  with  the  royal  message  he 
was  told  to  take  word  back  to  the  king  that  his  orders 
should  be  obeyed.  Then  twelve  roasted  oxen  and  twelve 
tons  of  bread  were  brought  alongside  of  the  ship,  and  at 
one  sitting  the  glutton  had  devoured  it. 

"I  call  that  a  small  meal,"  he  said.  "I  wish  they'd 
brought  me  some  more." 

Next  the  king  ordered  that  forty  casks  of  wine,  contain- 
ing forty  gallons  each,  were  to  be  drunk  up  on  the  spot  by 
the  simpleton  and  his  party.  When  these  words  were 
overheard  by  the  sharp-eared  comrade  and  repeated  to  the 
simpleton  he  was  in  despair. 

"  Alas !  alas !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  what  is  to  be  done  ?  It 
would  take  us  a  year,  possibly  our  whole  lives,  to  drink  so 
much." 

"  Never  fear,"  said  his  thirsty  comrade.  "  I'll  drink  it  all 
up  at  a  gulp,  see  if  I  don't."  And  sure  enough,  when  the 
forty  casks  of  wine  containing  forty  gallons  each  were 
brought  alongside  of  the  ship,  they  disappeared  down  the 
thirsty  comrade's  throat  in  no  time;  and  when  they  were 
empty  he  remarked: 

"Why,  I'm  still  thirsty.  I  should  have  been  glad  of  two 
more  casks." 

Then  the  king  took  counsel  with  himself  and  sent  an 
order  to  the  simpleton  that  he  was  to  have  a  bath  in  a 
bath-room  at  the  royal  palace,  and  after  that  the  betrothal 
should  take  place.  Now,  the  bath-room  was  built  of  iron, 
and  the  king  gave  orders  that  it  was  to  be  heated  to  such 
a  pitch  that  it  would  suffocate  the  simpleton.  And  so 
when  the  poor  silly  youth  entered  the  room  he  discovered 
that  the  iron  walls  were  red-hot.  But  fortunately  his 


216         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

comrade  with  the  straw  on  his  back  had  entered  behind 
him,  and  when  the  door  was  shut  upon  them  he  scattered 
the  straw  about,  and  suddenly  the  red-hot  walls  cooled 
down,  and  it  became  so  very  cold  that  the  simpleton  could 
scarcely  bear  to  take  a  bath,  and  all  the  water  in  the  room 
froze.  So  the  simpleton  climbed  up  upon  the  stove,  and, 
wrapping  himself  up  in  the  bath  blankets,  lay  there  the 
whole  night.  And  in  the  morning  when  they  opened  the 
door  there  he  lay  sound  and  safe,  singing  cheerfully  to 
himself. 

Now  when  this  strange  tale  was  told  to  the  king  he 
became  quite  sad,  not  knowing  what  he  should  do  to  get 
rid  of  so  undesirable  a  son-in-law,  when  suddenly  a  bril- 
liant idea  occurred  to  him. 

"  Tell  the  rascal  to  raise  me  an  army,  now  at  this  in- 
stant !  "  he  exclaimed  to  one  of  his  courtiers.  "  Inform  him 
at  once  of  this,  my  royal  will."  And  to  himself  he  added, 
"  I  think  I  shall  do  for  him  this  time." 

As  on  former  occasions,  the  quick-eared  comrade  had 
overheard  the  king's  command  and  repeated  it  to  the  sim- 
pleton. 

"  Alas !  alas ! "  he  groaned,  "  now  I  am  quite  done  for." 

"ISTot  at  all,"  replied  one  of  his  comrades  (the  one  who 
had  dragged  the  bundle  of  wood  through  the  forest).  "  Have 
you  quite  forgotten  me  ? " 

In  the  meantime  the  courtier,  who  had  run  all  the  way 
from  the  palace,  reached  the  ship,  panting  and  breathless, 
and  delivered  the  king's  message. 

"  Good ! "  remarked  the  simpleton,  "  I  will  raise  an  army 
for  the  king,"  and  he  drew  himself  up.  "But  if,  after 
that,  the  king  refuses  to  accept  me  as  his  son-in-law,  I 
will  wage  war  against  him  and  carry  the  princess  off  by 
force." 

During  the  night  the  simpleton  and  his  comrade  went 
together  into  a  big  field,  not  forgetting  to  take  the  bundle 
of  wood  with  them,  which  the  man  spread  out  in  all  di- 
rections, and  in  a  moment  a  mighty  army  stood  upon  the 
spot,  regiment  on  regiment  of  foot  and  horse  soldiers;  the 
bugles  sounded  and  the  drums  beat,  the  chargers  neighed, 
and  their  riders  put  their  lances  in  rest,  and  the  soldiers 
presented  arms. 


Simpleton"8  Army  before  the  King. 


218         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

In  the  morning  when  the  king  awoke  he  was  startled 
by  these  warlike  sounds,  the  bugles  and  the  drums,  and 
the  clatter  of  the  horses,  and  the  shouts  of  the  soldiers. 
And  stepping  to  the  window  he  saw  the  lances  gleam  in  the 
sunlight  and  the  armor  and  weapons  glitter.  And  the 
proud  monarch  said  to  himself,  "  I  am  powerless  in  com- 
parison with  this  man."  So  he  sent  him  royal  robes  and 
costly  jewels  and  commanded  him  to  come  to  the  palace 
to  be  married  to  the  princess.  And  his  son-in-law  put  on 
the  royal  robes,  and  he  looked  so  grand  and  stately  that  it 
was  impossible  to  recognize  the  poor  simpleton,  so  changed 
was  he;  and  the  princess  fell  in  love  with  him  as  soon  as 
ever  she  saw  him. 

Never  before  had  so  grand  a  wedding  been  seen,  and 
there  was  so  much  food  and  wine  that  even  the  glutton  and 
the  thirsty  comrade  had  enough  to  eat  and  drink. 


THE  SNOW-DAUGHTER  AND  THE  FIRE-SON  * 

There  were  once  upon  a  time  a  man  and  his  wife,  and 
they  had  no  children,  which  was  a  great  grief  to  them. 
'One  winter's  day,  when  the  sun  was  shining  brightly,  the 
couple  were  standing  outside  their  cottage,  and  the  woman 
was  looking  at  all  the  little  icicles  which  hung  from  the 
roof.  She  sighed,  and,  turning  to  her  husband,  said:  "I 
wish  I  had  as  many  children  as  there  are  icicles  hanging 
there."  "  Nothing  would  please  me  more,  either,"  replied 
her  husband.  Then  a  tiny  icicle  detached  itself  from  the 
roof  and  dropped  into  the  woman's  mouth,  who  swallowed 
it  with  a  smile  and  said:  "Perhaps  I  shall  give  birth  to 
a  snow-child  now ! "  Her  husband  laughed  at  his  wife's 
strange  idea,  and  they  went  back  into  the  house. 

But  after  a  short  time  the  woman  gave  birth  to  a  little 
girl  who  was  as  white  as  snow  and  as  cold  as  ice.  If  they 
"brought  the  child  anywhere  near  the  fire  it  screamed  loudly 
till  they  put  it  back  into  some  cool  place.  The  little  maid 
throve  wonderfully,  and  in  a  few  months  she  could  run 
about  and  speak.  But  she  was  not  altogether  easy  to  bring 
up  and  gave  her  parents  much  trouble  and  anxiety,  for  the 
*From  the  "  Bukowinaer  Tales  and  Legends."  Von  Wliolocki. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         219 

summer  she  insisted  on  spending  in  the  cellar,  and  in  the 
winter  she  would  sleep  outside  in  the  snow,  and  the  colder 
it  was  the  happier  she  seemed  to  be.  Her  father  and  mother 
called  her  simply  "  our  snow-daughter,"  and  this  name 
stuck  to  her  all  her  life. 

One  day  her  parents  sat  by  the  fire,  talking  over  the 
extraordinary  behavior  of  their  daughter,  who  was  dis- 
porting herself  in  the  snow-storm  that  raged  outside.  The 
woman  sighed  deeply  and  said:  "I  wish  I  had  given  birth 
to  a  fire-son ! "  As  she  said  these  words  a  spark  from  the 
big  wood  fire  flew  into  the  woman's  lap,  and  she  said  with 
a  laugh :  "  Now  perhaps  I  shall  give  birth  to  a  fire-son ! " 
The  man  laughed  at  his  wife's  words  and  thought  it  was  a 
good  joke.  But  he  ceased  to  think  it  a  joke  when  his  wife 
shortly  afterward  gave  birth  to  a  boy,  who  screamed  lustily 
till  he  was  put  quite  close  to  the  fire  and  who  nearly  yelled 
himself  into  a  fit  if  the  snow-daughter  came  anywhere  near 
him.  The  snow-daughter  herself  avoided  him  as  much  as 
she  could,  and  always  crept  into  a  corner  as  far  away  from 
him  as  possible.  The  parents  called  the  boy  simply  "our 
fire-son,"  a  name  which  stuck  to  him  all  his  life.  They  had 
a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  worry  with  him  too ;  but  he  throve 
and  grew  very  quickly,  and  before  he  was  a  year  old  he 
could  run  about  and  talk.  He  was  as  red  as  fire  and  as  hot 
to  touch,  and  he  always  sat  on  the  hearth  quite  close  to  the 
fire  and  complained  of  the  cold.  If  his  sister  were  in  the 
room  he  almost  crept  into  the  flames,  while  the  girl  on  her 
part  always  complained  of  the  great  heat  if  her  brother 
were  anywhere  near.  In  summer  the  boy  always  lay  out  in 
the  sun,  while  the  girl  hid  herself  in  the  cellar;  so  it  hap- 
pened that  the  brother  and  sister  came  very  little  into  contact 
with  each  other — in  fact,  they  carefully  avoided  it.^. 

Just  as  the  girl  grew  up  into  a  beautiful  woman,  her 
father  and  mother  both  died,  one  after  the  other.  Then  the 
fire-son,  who  had  grown  up  in  the  meantime  into  a  fine, 
strong  young  man,  said  to  his  sister:  "I  am  going  out 
into  the  world,  for  what  is  the  use  of  remaining  on  here  ? " 

"  I  shall  go  with  you,"  she  answered,  "  for,  except  you,  I 
have  no  one  in  the  world,  and  I  have  a  feeling  that  if  we 
set  out  together  we  shall  be  lucky." 

The  fire-son  said :    "  I  love  you  with  all  my  heart,  but  at 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  221 

the  same  time  I  always  freeze  if  you  are  near  me,  and  you 
nearly  die  of  heat  if  I  approach  you!  How  shall  we  travel 
about  together  without  being  odious  the  one  to  the  other  ? " 

"Don't  worry  about  that,"  replied  the  girl,  "for  I've 
thought  it  all  over  and  have  settled  on  a  plan  which  will 
make  us  each  able  to  bear  with  the  other!  See,  I  have  had 
a  fur  cloak  made  for  each  of  us,  and  if  we  put  them  on 
I  shall  not  feel  the  heat  so  much  nor  you  the  cold."  So 
they  put  on  the  fur  cloaks  and  set  out  cheerfully  on  their 
way,  and  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives  quite  happy  in 
each  other's  company. 

For  a  long  time  the  fire-son  and  the  snow-daughter  wan- 
dered through  the  world,  and  when  at  the  beginning  of 
winter  they  came  to  a  big  wood,  they  determined  to  stay 
there  till  spring.  The  fire-son  built  himself  a  hut,  where 
he  always  kept  up  a  huge  fire,  while  his  sister,  with  very 
few  clothes  on,  stayed  outside  night  and  day.  Now,  it 
happened  one  day  that  the  king  of  the  land  held  a  hunt  in 
this  wood  and  saw  the  snow-daughter  wandering  about  in 
the  open  air.  He  wondered  very  much  who  the  beautiful 
girl  clad  in  such  garments  could  be,  and  he  stopped  and 
spoke  to  her.  He  soon  learned  that  she  could  not  stand 
heat  and  that  her  brother  could  not  endure  cold.  The 
king  was  so  charmed  by  the  snow-daughter  that  he  asked 
her  to  be  his  wife.  The  girl  consented,  and  the  wedding 
was  held  with  much  state.  The  king  had  a  huge  house  of 
ice  made  for  his  wife  underground,  so  that  even  in  summer 
it  did  not  melt.  But  for  his  brother-in-law  he  had  a  house 
built  with  huge  ovens  all  around  it  that  were  kept  heated 
all  day  and  night.  The  fire-son  was  delighted,  but  the  per- 
petual heat  in  which  he  lived  made  his  body  so  hot  that  it 
was  dangerous  to  go  too  close  to  him. 

One  day  the  king  gave  a  great  feast  and  asked  his  brother- 
in-law  among  the  other  guests.  The  fire-son  did  not  appear 
till  everyone  had  assembled,  and  when  he  did  everyone 
fled  outside  to  the  open  air,  so  intense  was  the  heat  he  gave 
forth.  Then  the  king  was  very  angry  and  said :  "  If  I  had 
known  what  a  lot  of  trouble  you  would  have  been,  I  would 
never  have  taken  you  into  my  house."  Then  the  fire-son  re- 
plied with  a  laugh :  "  Don't  be  angry,  dear  brother !  I  love 
heat  and  my  sister  loves  cold — come  here  and  let  me  embrace 


222         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

you,  and  then  I'll  go  home  at  once."  And  before  the  king 
had  time  to  reply  the  fire-son  seized  him  in  a  tight  embrace. 
The  king  screamed  aloud  in  agony,  and  when  his  wife,  the 
snow-daughter,  who  had  taken  refuge  from  her  brother  in 
the  next  room,  hurried  to  him,  the  king  lay  dead  on  the 
ground,  burned  to  a  cinder.  When  the  snow-daughter  saw 
this  she  turned  on  her  brother  and  flew  at  him.  Then  a  fight 
began,  the  like  of  which  had  never  been  seen  on  earth. 
When  the  people,  attracted  by  the  noise,  hurried  to  the 
spot,  they  saw  the  snow-daughter  melting  into  water  and  the 
fire-son  burning  to  a  cinder.  And  so  ended  the  unhappy 
brother  and  sister. 


THE'  STOKY  OF  KING  FBOST* 

There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  peasant  woman  who  had  a 
daughter  and  a  stepdaughter.  The  daughter  had  her  own 
way  in  everything,  and  whatever  she  did  was  right  in  her 
mother's  eyes;  but  the  poor  stepdaughter  had  a  hard  time. 
Let  her  do  what  she  would,  she  was  always  blamed,  and  got 
small  thanks  for  all  the  trouble  she  took;  nothing  was 
right,  everything  wrong;  and  yet,  if  the  truth  were  known, 
the  girl  was  worth  her  weight  in  gold — she  was  so  unselfish 
and  good-hearted.  But  her  stepmother  did  not  like  her,  and 
the  poor  girl's  days  were  spent  in  weeping;  for.it  was  im- 
possible to  live  peacefully  with  the  woman.  The  wicked 
shrew  was  determined  to  get  rid  of  the  girl  by  fair  means 
or  foul,  and  kept  saying  to  her  father :  "  Send  her  away, 
old  man;  send  her  away — anywhere  so  that  my  eyes  shan't 
be  plagued  any  longer  by  the  sight  of  her  or  my  ears  tor- 
mented by  the  sound  of  her  voice.  Send  her  out  into  the 
fields  and  let  the  cutting  frost  do  for  her." 

In  vain  did  the  poor  old  father  weep  and  implore  her 
pity;  she  was  firm,  and  he  dared  not  gainsay  her.  So  he 
placed  his  daughter  in  a  sledge,  not  even  daring  to  give 
her  a  horse-cloth  to  keep  herself  warm  with,  and  drove 
her  out  on  to  the  bare,  open  fields,  where  he  kissed  her 
and  left  her,  driving  home  as  fast  as  he  could,  that  he 
might  not  witness  her  miserable  death. 
*  From  the  Bussian. 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK.  223 

Deserted  by  her  father,  the  poor  girl  sat  down  under  a 
fir  tree  at  the  edge  of  the  forest  and  began  to  weep  silently. 
Suddenly  she  heard  a  faint  sound:  it  was  King  Frost 
springing  from  tree  to  tree  and  cracking  his  fingers  as  he 
went.  At  length  he  reached  the  fir  tree  beneath  which 
she  was  sitting,  and  with  a  crisp,  crackling  sound  he  alighted 
beside  her  and  looked  at  her  lovely  face. 

"  Well,  maiden,"  he  snapped  out,  "  do  you  know  who 
I  am?  I  am  King  Frost,  king  of  the  red-noses." 

"  All  hail  to  you,  great  king ! "  answered  the  girl  in  a  gen- 
tle, trembling  voice.  "  Have  you  come  to  take  me  ?  " 

"  Are  you  warm,  maiden  ? "  he  replied. 

"  Quite  warm,  King  Frost,"  she  answered,  though  she 
shivered  as  she  spoke. 

Then  King  Frost  stooped  down  and  bent  over  the  girl, 
and  the  crackling  sound  grew  louder  and  the  air  seemed 
to  be  full  of  knives  and  darts;  and  again  he  asked: 

"  Maiden,  are  you  warm  ?  Are  you  warm,  you  beautiful 
girl?" 

And  though  her  breath  was  almost  frozen  on  her  lips,  she 
whispered  gently :  "  Quite  warm,  King  Frost." 

Then  King  Frost  gnashed  his  teeth  and  cracked  his  fin- 
gers, and  his  eyes  sparkled,  and  the  crackling,  crisp  sound 
was  louder  than  ever,  and  for  the  last  time  he  asked 
her: 

"  Maiden,  are  you  still  warm  ?  Are  you  still  warm,  little 
love?" 

And  the  poor  girl  was  so  stiff  and  numb  that  she  could 
just  gasp:  "  Still  warm,  O  King!  " 

Now,  her  gentle,  courteous  words  and  her  uncomplaining 
ways  touched  King  Frost  and  he  had  pity  on  her,  and  he 
wrapped  her  up  in  furs  and  covered  her  with  blankets,  and 
he  fetched  a  great  box,  in  which  were  beautiful  jewels 
and  a  rich  robe  embroidered  in  gold  and  silver.  And  she 
put  it  on  and  looked  more  lovely  than  ever,  and  King  Frost 
stepped  with  her  into  his  sledge  with  six  white  horses. 

In  the  meantime  the  wicked  stepmother  was  waiting  at 
home  for  news  of  the  girl's  death  and  preparing  pancakes 
for  the  funeral  feast.  And  she  said  to  her  husband :  "  Old 
man,  you  had  better  go  out  into  the  fields  and  find  your 
daughter's  body  and  bury  her."  Just  as  the  old  man  was 


224 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 


leaving  the  house  the  little  dog  tinder  the  table  began  to 
bark,  saying: 

"  Your  daughter  shall  live  to  be  your  delight ; 
Her  daughter  shall  die  this  very  night." 

"  Hold    your    tongue,    you    foolish    beast ! "    scolded    the 
woman.    "  There's  a  pancake  for  you,  but  you  must  say : 

"  '  Her  daughter  rl<all  have  much  silver  and  gold  ; 
His  daughter  is  rrozen  quite  stiff  and  cold.'  " 

But  the  doggie  ate  up  the  pancake  and  barked,  saying: 

"  His  daughter  shall  wear  a  crown  on  her  head  ; 
Her  daughter  shall  die  unwooed,  unwed." 

Then  the  old  woman  tried  to  coax  the  doggie  with  more 
pancakes  and  to  terrify  it  with  blows,  but  he  barked  on, 


always  repeating  the  same  words.  And  suddenly  the  door 
creaked  and  flew  open  and  a  great  heavy  chest  was  pushed 
in,  and  behind  it  came  the  stepdaughter,  radiant  and  beauti- 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         225 

ful,  in  a  dress  all  glittering  with  silver  and  gold.  For  a  mo- 
ment the  stepmother's  eyes  were  dazzled.  Then  she  called 
to  her  husband :  "  Old  man,  yoke  the  horses  at  once  into 
the  sledge,  and  take  my  daughter  to  the  same  field  and 
leave  her  on  the  same  spot  exactly."  And  so  the  old  man 
took  the  girl  and  left  her  beneath  the  same  tree  where  he 
had  parted  from  his  daughter.  In  a  few  minutes  King  Frost 
came  past,  and,  looking  at  the  girl,  he  said: 

"  Are  you  warm,  maiden  ?  " 

"What  a  blind  old  fool  you  must  be  to  ask  such  a  ques- 
tion!" she  answered  angrily.  "Can't  you  see  that  my 
hands  and  feet  are  nearly  frozen  ?  " 

Then  King  Frost  sprang  to  and  fro  in  front  of  her,  ques- 
tioning her,  and  getting  only  rude,  rough  words  in  reply, 
till  at  last  he  got  very  angry,  and  cracked  his  fingers,  and 
gnashed  his  teeth,  and  froze  her  to  death. 

But  in  the  hut  her  mother  was  waiting  for  her  return, 
and  as  she  grew  impatient  she  said  to  her  husband :  "  Get 
out  the  horses,  old  man,  to  go  and  fetch  her  home;  but  see 
that  you  are  careful  not  to  upset  the  sledge  and  lose  the 
chest." 

But  the  doggie  beneath  the  table  began  to  bark,  saying: 

"  Your  daughter  is  frozen  quite  stiff  and  cold, 
And  shall  never  have  a  chestful  of  gold." 

"  Don't  tell  such  wicked  lies ! "  scolded  the  woman. 
"  There's  a  cake  for  you ;  now  say. 

"  '  Her  daughter  shall  marry  a  mighty  king.' " 

At  that  moment  the  door  flew  open  and  she  rushed  out 
to  meet  her  daughter,  and  as  she  took  her  frozen  body  ia 
her  arms  she  too  was  chilled  to  death. 


THE   DEATH  OF  THE   SUN-HEEO* 

Many,  many  thousand  years  ago  there  lived  a  mighty 
king  whom  Heaven  had  blessed  with  a  clever  and  beauti- 
ful son.  When  he  was  only  ten  years  old  the  boy  was 

*From  the  "Bukowinaer  Tales  and  Legends."    Voii  Wliolocki. 


226         THE  YELLOW  FAIET  BOOK. 

cleverer  than  all  the  king's  counselors  put  together,  and 
when  he  was  twenty  he  was  the  greatest  hero  in  the  whole 
kingdom.  His  father  could  not  make  enough  of  his  son, 
and  always  had  him  clothed  in  golden  garments  which 
shone  and  sparkled  like  the  sun;  and  his  mother  gave  him 
a  white  horse  which  never  slept  and  which  flew  like  the 
wind.  All  the  people  in  the  land  loved  him  dearly,  and 
called  him  the  sun-hero,  for  they  did  not  think  his  like 
existed  under  the  sun.  Now,  it  happened  one  night  that 
both  his  parents  had  the  same  extraordinary  dream.  They 
dreamed  that  a  girl  all  dressed  in  red  had  come  to  them  and 
said :  "  If  you  wish  that  your  son  should  really  become  the 
sun-hero  in  deed  and  not  only  in  name,  let  him  go  out  into 
the  world  and  search  for  the  tree  of  the  sun,  and  when  he 
has  found  it,  let  him  pluck  a  golden  apple  from  it  and  bring 
it  home." 

When  the  king  and  queen  had  each  related  their  dreams 
to  the  other,  they  were  much  amazed  that  they  should  both 
have  dreamed  exactly  the  same  about  their  son,  and  the 
king  said  to  his  wife :  "  This  is  clearly  a  sign  from  Heaven 
that  we  should  send  our  son  out  into  the  world  in  order  that 
he  may  come  home  the  great  sun-hero,  as  the  red  girl  said, 
not  only  in  name,  but  in  deed." 

The  queen  consented  with  many  tears,  and  the  king  at 
once  bade  his  son  set  forth  in  search  of  the  tree  of  the  sun, 
from  which  he  was  to  pluck  a  golden  apple.  The  prince 
was  delighted  at  the  prospect,  and  set  out  on  his  travels  that 
very  day. 

For  a  long  time  he  wandered  all  through  the  world,  and 
it  was  not  until  the  ninety-ninth  day  after  he  started  that  he 
found  an  old  man  who  was  able  to  tell  him  where  the  tree 
of  the  sun  grew.  He  followed  his  directions  and  rode  on 
his  way,  and  after  another  ninety-nine  days  he  arrived  at  a 
golden  castle  which  stood  in  the  middle  of  a  vast  wilder- 
ness. He  knocked  at  the  door,  which  was  opened  noise- 
lessly and  by  invisible  hands.  Finding  no  one  about,  the 
prince  rode  on  and  came  to  a  great  meadow,  where  the  tree 
of  the  sun  grew.  When  he  reached  the  tree  he  put  out  his 
hand  to  pick  a  golden  apple;  but  all  of  a  sudden  the  tree 
grew  higher,  so  that  he  could  not  reach  its  fruit.  Then  he 
heard  someone  behind  him  laughing.  Turning  round,  he 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


227 


saw  the  girl  in  red  walking  toward  him,  who  addressed  him 
in  these  words : 

"  Do  you  really  imagine,  brave  son  of  the  earth,  that  you 
can  pluck  an  apple  so  easily  from  the  tree  of  the  sun? 
Before  you  can  do  that  you  have  a  difficult  task  before  you. 
You  must  guard  the  tree  for  nine  days  and  nine  nights 
from  the  ravages  of  two  wild  black  wolves  who  will  try  to 
harm  it.  Do  you  think  you  can  undertake  this  ? " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  sun-hero,  "  I  will  guard  the  tree  of  the 
sun  nine  days  and  nine  nights." 

Then  the  girl  continued :  "  Remember,  though,  if  you  do 
not  succeed  the  sun  will  kill  you.  Now  begin  your  watch." 


With  these  words  the  red  girl  went  back  into  the  golden 
castle.  She  had  hardly  left  him  when  the  two  black 
wolves  appeared;  but  the  sun-hero  beat  them  off  with  his 
sword,  and  they  retired — only,  however,  to  reappear  in  a 
very  short  time.  The  sun-hero  chased  them  away  once 
more,  but  he  had  hardly  sat  down  to  rest  when  the  two 
black  wolves  were  on  the  scene  again.  This  went  on  for 
seven  days  and  nights,  when  the  white  horse,  who  had 
never  done  such  a  thing  before,  turned  to  the  sun-hero  and 
said  in  a  human  voice:  "Listen  to  what  I  am  going  to  say. 
A  fairy  gave  me  to  your  mother  in  order  that  I  might  be  of 


228         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

service  to  you ;  so  let  me  tell  you  that  if  you  go  to  sleep  and 
let  the  wolves  harm  the  tree  the  sun  will  surely  kill  you. 
The  fairy,  foreseeing  this,  put  everyone  in  the  world  under  a 
spell,  which  prevents  their  obeying  the  sun's  command  to 
take  your  life.  But  all  the  same  she  has  forgotten  one  per- 
son, who  will  certainly  kill  you  if  you  fall  asleep  and  let  the 
wolves  damage  the  tree.  So  watch  and  keep  the  wolves 
away." 

Then  the  sun-hero  strove  with  all  his  might  and  kept  the 
black  wolves  at  bay,  and  conquered  his  desire  to  sleep;  but 
on  the  eighth  night  his  strength  failed  him  and  he  fell  fast 
asleep.  When  he  awoke  a  woman  in  black  stood  beside 
him,  who  said:  "You  have  fulfilled  your  task  very  badly, 
for  you  have  let  the  two  black  wolves  damage  the  tree  of 
the  sun.  I  am  the  mother  of  the  sun,  and  I  command  you 
to  ride  away  from  here  at  once,  and  I  pronounce  sentence 
of  death  upon  you,  for  you  proudly  let  yourself  be  called 
the  sun-hero  without  having  done  anything  to  deserve  the 
name." 

The  youth  mounted  his  horse  sadly  and  rode  home. 
The  people  all  thronged  around  him  on  his  return,  anxious 
to  hear  his  adventures,  but  he  told  them  nothing,  and  only 
to  his  mother  did  he  confide  what  had  befallen  him.  But 
the  old  queen  laughed  and  said  to  her  son :  "  Don't  worry, 
my  child.  You  see,  the  fairy  has  protected  you  so  far,  and 
the  sun  has  found  no  one  to  kill  you.  So  cheer  up  and  be 
happy." 

After  a  time  the  prince  forgot  all  about  his  adventure 
and  married  a  beautiful  princess,  with  whom  he  lived  very 
happily  for  some  time.  But  one  day  when  he  was  out 
hunting  he  felt  very  thirsty,  and  coming  to  a  stream  he 
stooped  down  to  drink  from  it,  and  this  caused  his  death, 
for  a  crab  came  swimming  up  and  tore  outg  skr  aat  Tk. 
for  a  crab  came  swimming  up  and  with  its  claws  tore  out 
his  tongue.  He  was  carried  home  in  a  dying  condition, 
and  as  he  lay  on  his  death-bed  the  black  woman  appeared 
and  said :  "  So  the  sun  has,  after  all,  found  someone  who 
was  not  under  the  fairy's  spell,  who  has  caused  your  death, 
who  wrongfully  assumes  a  title  to  which  he  has  no  right" 


THE   YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK.  229 


THE    WITCH* 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  peasant  whose  wife  died, 
leaving  him  with  two  children, — twins, — a  boy  and  a  girl. 
For  some  years  the  poor  man  lived  on  alone  with  the  chil- 
dren, caring  for  them  as  best  he  could;  but  everything  in 
the  house  seemed  to  go  wrong  without  a  woman  to  look 
after  it,  and  at  last  he  made  up  his  mind  to  marry  again, 
feeling  that  a  wife  would  bring  peace  and  order  to  his 
household  and  take  care  of  his  motherless  children.  So  he 
married,  and  in  the  following  years  several  children  were 
born  to  him.  But  peace  and  order  did  not  come  to  the 
household,  for  the  stepmother  was  very  cruel  to  the  twins, 
and  beat  them,  and  half  starved  them,  and  constantly  drove 
them  out  of  the  house;  for  her  one  idea  was  to  get  them 
out  of  the  way.  All  day  she  thought  of  nothing  but  how 
she  should  get  rid  of  them,  and  at  last  an  evil  idea  came 
into  her  head,  and  she  determined  to  send  them  out  into  the 
great  gloomy  wood  where  a  wicked  witch  lived.  And  so 
one  morning  she  spoke  to  them,  saying : 

"  You  have  been  such  good  children  that  I  am  going  to  send 
you  to  visit  my  granny,  who  lives  in  a  dear  little  hut  in  the 
wood.  You  will  have  to  wait  upon  her  and  serve  her,  but 
you  will  be  well  rewarded,  for  she  will  give  you  the  best 
of  everything.''* 

So  the  children  left  the  house  together,  and  the  little 
sister,  who  was  very  wise  for  her  years,  said  to  the  brother : 

"  We  will  first  go  and  see  our  own  dear  grandmother  and 
tell  her  where  our  stepmother  is  sending  us." 

And  when  the  grandmother  had  heard  where  they  were 
going  she  cried  and  said: 

"  You  poor  motherless  children !  How  I  pity  you ;  and 
yet  I  can  do  nothing  to  help  you!  Your  stepmother  is  not 
sending  you  to  her  granny,  but  to  a  wicked  witch  who 
lives  in  that  great  gloomy  wood.  Now  listen  to  me,  chil- 
dren. You  must  be  civil  and  kind  to  everyone,  and  never 
say  a  cross  word  to  anyone  and  never  touch  a  crumb  be- 
longing to  anyone  else.  Who  knows  if,  after  all,  help  may 
not  be  sent  to  you  ?  " 

*  From  the  Russian. 


230         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

And  she  gave  her  grandchildren  a  bottle  of  milk,  and  a 
piece  of  ham  and  a  loaf  of  bread,  and  they  set  out  for  the 
great  gloomy  wood.  When  they  reached  it  they  saw  ii? 
front  of  them,  in  the  thickest  of  the  trees,  a  queer  little  hut, 
and  when  they  looked  into  it  there  lay  the  witch,  with  her 
head  on  the  threshold  of  the  door,  with  one  foot  in  one 
corner  and  the  other  in  the  other  corner,  and  her  knees 
cocked  up,  almost  touching  the  ceiling. 

"  Who's  there  ? "  she  snarled  in  an  awful  voice  when  she 
saw  the  children. 

And  they  answered  civilly,  though  they  were  so  terrified 
that  they  hid  behind  one  another,  and  said : 

"Good-morning,  granny.  Our  stepmother  has  sent  us 
to  wait  upon  you  and  serve  you." 

"  See    that    you    do    it   well,    then,"    growled    the   witch. 


"If  I  am  pleased  with  you  I'll  reward  you;  but  if  I  am 
not  I'll  put  you  in  a  pan  and  fry  you  in  the  oven — that's 
what  I'll  do  with  you,  my  pretty  dears!  You  have  been 
gently  reared,  but  you'll  find  my  work  hard  enough.  See  if 
you  don't." 

And  so  saying,  she  set  the  girl  down  to  spin  yarn  and 
she  gave  the  boy  a  sieve  in  which  to  carry  water  from  the 
well,  and  she  herself  went  out  into  the  wood.  Now,  as 


THE   YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK.  231 

the  girl  was  sitting  at  her  distaff,  weeping  bitterly  because 
she  could  not  spin,  she  heard  the  sound  of  hundreds  of 
little  feet,  and  from  every  hole  and  corner  in  the  hut  mice 
came  pattering  along  the  floor,  squeaking  and  saying: 

"  Little  girl,  why  are  your  eyes  so  red? 
If  you  want  help,  then  give  us  some  bread." 

And  the  girl  gave  them  the  bread  that  her  grandmother 
had  given  her.  Then  the  mice  told  her  that  the  witch  had 
a  cat,  and  the  cat  was  very  fond  of  ham;  if  she  would  give 
the  cat  her  ham  it  would  show  her  the  way  out  of  the  wood, 
and  in  the  meantime  they  would  spin  the  yarn  for  her. 
So  the  girl  set  out  to  look  for  the  cat,  and  as  she  was 
hunting  about  she  met  her  brother,  in  great  trouble  because 
he  could  not  carry  water  from  the  well  in  a  sieve,  as  it 
came  pouring  out  as  fast  as  he  put  it  in.  And  as  she  was 
trying  to  comfort  him  they  heard  a  rustling  of  wings,  and 
a  flight  of  wrens  alighted  on  the  ground  beside  them.  And 
the  wrens  said: 

£  Give  us  some  crumbs,  then  you  need  not  grieve, 
^For  you'll  find  that  water  will  stay  in  a  sieve." 

Then  the  twins  crumbled  their  bread  on  the  ground,  and 
the  wrens  pecked  it  and  chirruped  and  chirped.  And  when 
they  had  eaten  the  last  crumb  they  told  the  boy  to  fill  up  the 
holes  of  the  sieve  with  clay  and  then  to  draw  water  from  the 
well.  So  he  did  what  they  said,  and  carried  the  sieve  full 
of  water  into  the  hut  without  spilling  a  drop.  When  they 
entered  the  hut  the  cat  was  curled  up  on  the  floor.  So  they 
stroked  her,  and  fed  her  with  ham,  and  said  to  her : 

"  Pussy,  gray  pussy,  tell  us  how  we  are  to  get  away  from 
the  witch." 

Then  the  cat  thanked  them  for  the  ham  and  gave  them 
a  pocket-handkerchief  and  a  comb,  and  told  them  that  when 
the  witch  pursued  them,  as  she  certainly  would,  all  they  had 
to  do  was  to  throw  the  handkerchief  on  the  ground  and 
run  as  fast  as  they  could.  As  soon  as  the  handkerchief 
touched  the  ground  a  deep,  broad  river  would  spring  up, 
which  would  hinder  the  witch's  progress.  If  she  managed 
to  get  across  it,  they  must  throw  the  comb  behind  them  and 
run  for  their  lives,  for  where  the  comb  fell  a  dense  forest 


232         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

would  start  up,  which  would  delay  the  witch  so  long  that 
would  be  able  to  get  safely  away. 

The  cat  had  scarcely  finished  speaking  when  the  witch 
returned  to  see  if  the  children  had  fulfilled  their  tasks. 

"  Well,  you  have  done  well  enough  for  to-day,"  she 
grumbled,  "  but  to-morrow  you'll  have  something  more  diffi- 
cult to  do,  and  if  you  don't  do  it  well,  you  pampered  brats, 
.straight  into  the  oven  you  go." 

Half-dead  with  fright  and  trembling  in  every  limb,  the 
poor  children  lay  down  to  sleep  on  a  heap  of  straw  in  the 
corner  of  the  hut;  but  they  dared  not  close  their  eyes  and 
scarcely  ventured  to  breathe.  In  the  morning  the  witch 
;gave  the  girl  two  pieces  of  linen  to  weave  before  night  and 
the  boy  a  pile  of  wood  to  cut  into  chips.  Then  the  witch 
left  them  to  their  tasks  and  went  out  into  the  wood.  As 
soon  as  she  had  gone  out  of  sight  the  children  took  the 
comb  and  the  handkerchief,  and  taking  one  another  by 
the  hand  they  started  and  ran,  and  ran,  and  ran.  And 
first  they  met  the  watch-dog,  who  was  going  to  leap  on 
them,  and  tear  them  to  pieces;  but  they  threw  the  remains 
of  their  bread  to  him,  and  he  ate  them  and  wagged  his  tail. 
Then  they  were  hindered  by  the  birch  trees,  whose 
branches  almost  put  their  eyes  out.  But  the  little  sister  tied 
the  twigs  together  with  a  piece  of  ribbon  and  they  got 
past  safely,  and  after  running  through  the  wood  came  out 
on  to  the  open  fields. 

In  the  meantime  in  the  hut  the  cat  was  busy  weaving 
the  linen  and  tangling  the  threads  as  it  wove.  The  witch 
returned  to  see  how  the  children  were  getting  on,  and  she 
crept  up  to  the  window  and  whispered: 

"  Are  you  weaving,  my  little  dear  ?  " 

"Yes,  granny,  I  am  weaving,"  answered  the  cat. 

When  the  witch  saw  that  the  children  had  escaped  her 
she  was  furious,  and  hitting  the  cat  with  a  porringer  she 
said :  "  Why  did  you  let  the  children  leave  the  hut  ?  Why 
did  you  not  scratch  their  eyes  out  ? " 

But  the  cat  curled  up  its  tail  and  put  its  back  up  and 
answered:  "I  have  served  you  all  these  years,  and  you 
never  even  threw  me  a  bone,  but  the  dear  children  gave 
me  their  own  piece  of  ham." 

Then  the  witch  was  furious  with  the  watch-dog  and  with 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  283 

the  birch  tree  because  they  had  let  the  children  pass.  But 
the  dog  answered: 

"I  have  served  you  all  these  years  and  you  never  gave 
me  so  much  as  a  hard  crust,  but  the  dear  children  gave  me 
their  own  loaf  of  bread." 

And  the  birch  rustled  its  leaves  and  said :  "  I  have  served 
you  longer  than  I  can  say,  and  you  never  even  tied  a  bit  of 
twine  round  my  branches;  and  the  dear  children  bound 
them  up  with  their  brightest  ribbons." 

So  the  witch  saw  there  was  no  help  to  be  got  from  her 
old  servants,  and  that  the  best  thing  she  could  do  was  to 
mount  on  her  broom  and  set  off  in  pursuit  of  the  children. 


The  Comb  Grows  into  a  Forest. 

And  as  the  children  ran  they  heard  the  sound  of  the  broom 
sweeping  the  ground  close  behind  them,  so  instantly  they 
threw  the  handkerchief  down  over  their  shoulder,  and  in  a 
moment  a  deep,  broad  river  flowed  behind  them. 

When  the  witeh  came  up  to  it,  it  took  her  a  long  time  be- 
fore she  found  a  place  where  she  could  ford  over  on  her 
broomstick;  but  at  last  she  got  across  and  continued  the 
chase  faster  than  before.  And  as  the  children  ran  they 
heard  a  sound,  and  the  little  sister  put  her  ear  to  the 
ground  and  heard  the  broom  sweeping  the  earth  close  be- 
hind them;  so,  quick  as  thought,  she  threw  the  comb  down 


234         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

on  the  ground,  and  in  an  instant,  as  the  cat  had  said,  a 
dense  forest  sprang  up,  in  which  the  roots  and  branches 
were  so  closely  intertwined  that  it  was  impossible  to  force 
a  way  through  it.  So  when  the  witch  came  up  to  it  on  her 
broom,  she  found  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  turn 
round  and  go  back  to  her  hut. 

But  the  twins  ran  straight  on  till  they  reached  their  own 
home.  Then  they  told  their  father  all  they  had  suffered, 
and  he  was  so  angry  with  their  stepmother  that  he  drove 
her  out  of  the  house  and  never  let  her  return;  but  he  and 
the  children  lived  happily  together,  and  he  took  care  of 
them  himself  and  never  let  a  stranger  come  near  them. 


THE  HAZEL-NUT  CHILD  * 

There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  couple  who  had  no  chil- 
dren, and  they  prayed  Heaven  every  day  to  send  them 
a  child,  though  it  were  no  bigger  than  a  hazel-nut.  At 
last  Heaven  heard  their  prayer  and  sent  them  a  child 
exactly  the  size  of  a  hazel-nut,  and  it  never  grew  an  inch. 
The  parents  were  very  devoted  to  the  little  creature  and 
nursed  and  tended  it  carefully.  Their  tiny  son,  too,  was 
as  clever  as  he  could  be,  and  so  sharp  and  sensible  that  all 
the  neighbors  marveled  over  the  wise  things  he  said  and 
did. 

When  the  hazel-nut  child  was  fifteen  years  old  and  was 
sitting  one  day  in  an  egg-shell  on  the  table  beside  his 
mother,  she  turned  to  him  and  said:  "You  are  now  fifteen 
years  old  and  nothing  can  be  done  with  you.  What  do  you 
intend  to  be?" 

"  A  messenger,"  answered  the  hazel-nut  child. 

Then  his  mother  burst  out  laughing  and  said :  "  What 
an  idea!  You  a  messenger!  Why,  your  little  feet  would 
take  an  hour  to  go  the  distance  an  ordinary  person  could 
do  in  a  minute !  " 

But  the  hazel-nut  child  replied:  "Nevertheless,  I  mean 
to  be  a  messenger !  Just  send  me  with  a  message  and  you'll 
see  that  I  shall  be  back  in  next  to  no  time." 

So  his  mother  said:  "Very  well.  Go  to  your  aunt  in 
*  From  the  "  Bukowinaer."  Von  Wliolocki. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          235 

the  neighboring  village  and  fetch  me  a  comb."  The  hazel- 
nut  child  jumped  quickly  out  of  the  egg-shell  and  ran  out 
into  the  street.  Here  he  found  a  man  on  horseback  who 
was  just  setting  out  for  the  neighboring  village.  He  crept 
up  the  horse's  leg,  sat  down  under  the  saddle,  and  then 
began  to  pinch  the  horse  and  to  prick  it  with  a  pin.  The 
horse  plunged  and  reared  and  then  set  off  at  a  hard  gallop, 
which  it  continued  in  spite  of  its  rider's  efforts  to  stop  it. 
When  they  reached  the  village  the  hazel-nut  child  left  off 
pricking  the  horse,  and  the  poor  tired  creature  pursued  its 
way  at  a  snail's  pace.  The  hazel-nut  child  took  advantage 
of  this  and  crept  down  the  horse's  leg;  then  he  ran  to  his 
aunt  and  asked  her  for  a  comb.  On  the  way  home  he  met 
another  rider  and  did  the  return  journey  in  exactly  the 
same  way.  When  he  handed  his  mother  the  comb  that 
his  aunt  had  given  him  she  was  much  amazed  and  asked 
him :  "  But  how  did  you  manage  to  get  back  so  quickly  ? " 

"  Ah,  mother ! "  he  replied,  "  you  see,  I  was  quite  right 
when  I  said  I  knew  a  messenger  was  the  profession  for 
me." 

His  father  possessed  a  horse  which  he  often  used  to  take 
out  into  the  fields  to  graze.  One  day  he  took  the  hazel-nut 
child  with  him.  At  midday  the  father  turned  to  his  small 
son  and  said  "  Stay  here  and  look  after  the  horse.  I  must 
go  home  and  give  your  mother  a  message,  but  I  shall  be 
back  soon." 

When  his  father  had  gone  a  robber  passed  by  and  saw  the 
horse  grazing  without  anyone  watching  it,  for  of  course 
he  could  not  see  the  hazel-nut  child  hidden  in  the  grass.  So 
he  mounted  the  horse  and  rode  away.  But  the  hazel-nut 
child,  who  was  the  most  active  little  creature,  climbed  up  the 
horse's  tail  and  began  to  bite  it  on  the  back,  enraging  the 
creature  to  such  an  extent  that  it  paid  no  attention  to  the 
direction  the  robber  tried  to  make  it  go  in,  but  galloped 
straight  home.  The  father  was  much  astonished  when  he 
saw  a  stranger  riding  his  horse,  but  the  hazel-nut  child 
climbed  down  quickly  and  to4d  him  all  that  had  happened, 
and  his  father  had  the  robber  arrested  at  once  and  put  into 
prison. 

One  autumn  when  the  hazel-nut  child  was  twenty  years  old 
he  said  to  his  parents,  "  Farewell,  my  dear  father  and  mother. 


236 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


I  am  going  to  set  out  into  the  world,  and  as  soon  as  I  have 
become  rich  I  will  return  home  to  you." 

The  parents  laughed  at  the  little  man's  words,  but  did  not 
believe  him  for  a  moment.  In  the  evening  the  hazel-nut 
child  crept  on  to  the  roof,  where  some  storks  had  built  their 


t be  BlacH,  King's  Qift. 

nest.  The  storks  were  fast  asleep,  and  he  climbed  on  to  the 
back  of  the  father  stork  and  bound  a  silk  cord  round  the  joint 
of  one  of  its  wings;  then  he  crept  among  its  soft,  downy 
feathers  and  fell  asleep. 

The  next  morning  the  storks  flew  toward  the  south,  for 
winter  was  approaching.  The  hazel-nut  child  flew  through 
the  air  on  the  stork's  back,  and  when  he  wanted  to  rest  he 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK.  237 

bound  his  silk  cord  on  to  the  joint  of  the  bird's  other  wing, 
so  that  it  could  not  fly  any  further.  In  this  way  he  reached 
the  country  of  the  black  people,  where  the  storks  took  up 
their  abode  close  to  the  capital.  When  the  people  saw  the 
hazel-nut  child  they  were  much  astonished  and  took  him  with 
the  stork  to  the  king  of  the  country.  The  king  was  de- 
lighted with  the  little  creature  and  kept  him  always  beside 
him,  and  he  soon  grew  so  fond  of  the  little  man  that  he  gave 
him  a  diamond  four  times  as  big  as  himself.  The  hazel-nut 
child  fastened  tbe  diamond  firmly  under  the  stork's  neck 
with  a  ribbon,  and  when  he  saw  that  the  other  storks  were 
getting  ready  for  their  northern  flight  he  untied  the  silk 
cord  from  his  stork's  wings,  and  away  they  went,  getting 
nearer  home  every  minute.  At  length  the  hazel-nut  child 
came  to  his  native  village;  then  he  undid  the  ribbon  from 
the  stork's  neck  and  the  diamond  fell  to  the  ground;  he  cov- 
ered it  first  with  sand  and  stones,  and  then  ran  to  get 
his  parents,  so  that  they  might  carry  the  treasure  home, 
for  he  himself  was  not  able  to  lift  the  great  diamond. 

So  the  hazel-nut  child  and  his  parents  lived  in  happinesa 
and  prosperity  after  this  till  they  dred. 


BIG  KLAUS  A1STD  LITTLE  KLAUS. 

In  a  certain  village  there  lived  two  people  who  had  both 
the  same  name.  Both  were  called  Klaus,  but  one  owned 
four  horses  and  the  other  only  one.  In  order  to  distinguish 
the  one  from  the  other,  the  one  who  had  four  horses  was 
called  Big  Klaus  and  the  one  who  had  only  one  horse 
Little  Klaus.  Now  you  shall  hear  what  befell  them  both, 
for  this  is  a  true  story. 

The  whole  week  through  Little  Klaus  had  to  plow  for 
Big  Klaus  and  lend  him  his  own  horse;  then  Big  Klaus 
lent  him  his  four  horses,  but  only  once  a  week,  and  that 
was  on  Sunday.  Hurrah!  how  loudly  Little  Klaus  cracked 
his  whip  over  all  the  five  horses!  for  indeed  they  were  as 
good  as  his  own  on  this  one  day.  The  sun  shone  brightly  and 
all  the  bells  in  the  church-towers  were  pealing;  the  people 
were  dressed  in  their  best  clothes  and  were  going  to  church, 
with  their  hymn-books  under  their  arms,  to  hear  the 


238         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

minister  preach.  They  saw  Little  Klaus  plowing  with  the 
five  horses;  but  he  was  so  happy  that  he  kept  on  cracking 
his  whip  and  calling  out,  "  Gee-up,  my  five  horses !  " 

"You  mustn't  say  that,"  said  Big  Klaus.  "Only  one 
horse  is  yours." 

But  as  soon  as  someone  else  was  going  by  Little  Klaus 
forgot  that  he  must  not  say  it  and  called  out  "  Gee-up,  my 
five  horses ! " 

"Now,  you  had  better  stop  that,"  said  Big  Klaus,  "for 
if  you  say  it  once  more  I  will  give  your  horse  such  a  crack 
on  the  head  that  it  will  drop  down  dead  on  the  spot ! " 

"  I  really  won't  say  it  again ! "  said  Little  Klaus.  But 
as  soon  as  more  people  passed  by  and  nodded  him  good- 
morning,  he  became  so  happy  in  thinking  how  well  it 
looked  to  have  five  horses  plowing  his  field  that,  cracking 
his  whip,  he  called  out  "  Gee-up,  my  five  horses !  " 

"  I'll  see  to  your  horses !  "  said  Big  Klaus ;  and  seizing  an 
iron  bar  he  struck  Little  Klaus'  one  horse  such  a  blow  on 
the  head  that  it  fell  down  and  died  on  the  spot. 

"  Alas !  ISTow  I  have  no  horse ! "  said  Little  Klaus, 
beginning  to  cry.  Then  he  flayed  the  skin  off  his  horse, 
dried  it,  and  put  it  in  a  sack,  which  he  threw  over  his 
shoulder,  and  went  into  the  town  to  sell  it.  He  had  a 
long  way  to  go  and  had  to  pass  through  a  great  dark 
forest.  A  dreadful  storm  came  on,  in  which  he  lost  his 
way,  and  before  he  could  get  on  to  the  right  road  night 
came  on,  and  it  was  impossible  to  reach  the  town  that 
evening. 

Right  in  front  of  him  was  a  large  farmhouse.  The 
window-shutters  were  closed,  but  the  light  came  through 
the  chinks.  "I  should  very  much  like  to  be  allowed  to 
spend  the  night  there,"  thought  Little  Klaus,  and  he  went 
and  knocked  at  the  door.  The  farmer's  wife  opened  it, 
but  when  she  heard  what  he  wanted  she  told  him  to  go 
away;  her  husband  was  not  at  home,  and  she  took  in  no 
strangers. 

"Well,  I  must  lie  down  outside,"  said  Little  Klaus;  and 
the  farmer's  wife  shut  the  door  in  his  face.  Close  by  stood 
a  large  hay-stack,  and  between  it  and  the  house  a  little  out- 
house covered  with  a  flat  thatched  roof. 

"I  can  lie  down  here,"  thought  Little  Klaus,  looking  at 


240  THE   YELLOW    FAIKY    BOOK. 

the  roof ;  "  it  will  make  a  splendid  bed  if  only  the  stork 
won't  fly  down  and  bite  my  legs."  For  a  live  stork  was 
standing  on  the  roof,  where  it  had  its  nest.  So  Little  Klaus 
crept  up  into  the  outhouse  where  he  lay  down,  and  made 
himself  comfortable  for  the  night.  The  wooden  shutters 
over  the  windows  were  not  shut  at  the  top,  and  he  could  just 
see  into  the  room. 

There  stood  a  large  table,  spread  with  wine  and  roast 
meat  and  a  beautiful  fish.  The  farmer's  wife  and  the  sexton 
sat  at  the  table,  but  there  was  no  one  else.  She  was  filling 
up  his  glass,  while  he  stuck  his  fork  into  the  fish,  which 
was  his  favorite  dish. 

"  If  one  could  only  get  some  of  that ! "  thought  Little 
Klaus,  stretching  his  head  toward  the  window.  Ah,  what 
delicious  cakes  he  saw  standing  there!  It  was  a  feast! 

Then  he  heard  someone  riding  along  the  road  toward 
the  house.  It  was  the  farmer  coming  home.  He  was  a 
very  worthy  man,  but  he  had  one  great  peculiarity — namely, 
that  he  could  not  bear  to  see  a  sexton.  If  he  saw  one  he 
was  made  quite  mad.  That  was  why  the  sexton  had  gone 
to  say  good-day  to  the  farmer's  wife  when  he  knew  that  her 
husband  was  not  at  home,  and  the  good  woman  therefore 
put  in  front  of  him  the  best  food  she  had.  But  when  they 
heard  the  farmer  coming  they  were  frightened,  and  the  far- 
mer's wife  begged  the  sexton  to  creep  into  a  great  empty 
chest.  He  did  so,  as  he  knew  the  poor  man  could  not  bear 
to  see  a  sexton.  The  wife  hastily  hid  all  the  beautiful  food 
and  the  wine  in  her  oven,  for  if  her  husband  had  seen  it,  he 
would  have  been  sure  to  ask  what  it  all  meant. 

"  Oh,  dear !  oh,  dear !  "  groaned  little  Klaus  up  in  the 
shed  when  he  saw  the  good  food  disappearing. 

"  Is  anybody  up  there  ? "  asked  the  farmer,  catching  sight 
of  Little  Klaus.  "  Why  are  you  lying  there  ?  Come  with  me 
into  the  house." 

Then  Little  Klaus  told  him  how  he  had  lost  his  way  and 
begged  to  be  allowed  to  spend  the  night  there. 

"Yes,  certainly,"  said  the  farmer;  "but  we  must  first 
have  something  to  eat ! " 

The  wife  received  them  both  very  kindly,  spread  a  long- 
table,  and  gave  them  a  large  plate  of  porridge.  The  farmer 
was  hungry  and  ate  with  good  appetite,  but  Little  Klaus 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  241 

could  not  help  thinking  of  the  delicious  dishes  of  fish  and 
roast  meats  and  cakes  which  he  knew  were  in  the  oven. 
Under  the  table  at  his  feet  he  had  laid  the  sack  with  the 
horse-skin  in  it,  for,  as  we  know,  he  was  going  to  the  town 
to  sell  it.  The  porridge  did  not  taste  good  to  him,  so  he 
trod  upon  his  sack,  and  the  dry  skin  in  the  sack  squeaked 
loudly. 

"  Hush ! "  said  Little  Klaus  to  his  sack,  at  the  same  time 
treading  on  it  again  so  that  it  squeaked  even  louder  than 
before. 

"  Hullo !  what  have  you  got  in  your  sack  ? "  asked  the 
farmer. 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  wizard ! "  said  Little  Klaus.  "  He  says  we 
should  not  eat  porridge,  for  he  has  conjured  the  whole  oven 
full  of  roast  meats  and  fish  and  cakes." 

"  Goodness  me ! "  said  the  farmer ;  and  opening  the  oven 
he  saw  all  the  delicious,  tempting  dishes  his  wife  had  hid- 
den there,  but  which  he  now  believed  the  wizard  in  the 
sack  had  conjured  up  for  them.  The  wife  could  say  noth- 
ing, but  she  put  the  food  at  once  on  the  table,  and  they  ate 
the  fish,  the  roast  meat,  and  the  cakes.  Little  Klaus  now 
trod  again  on  his  sack  so  that  the  skin  squeaked. 

"  What  does  he  say  now? "  asked  the  farmer. 

"He  says,"  replied  Little  Klaus,  "that  he  has  also  con- 
jured up  for  us  three  bottles  of  wine.  They  are  standing  in 
the  corner  by  the  oven !  " 

The  wife  had  to  fetch  the  wine  which  she  had  hidden,  and 
the  farmer  drank  and  grew  very  merry.  He  would  very 
much  like  to  have  had  such  a  wizard  as  Little  Klaus  had  in 
the  sack. 

"  Can  he  conjure  up  the  devil  ? "  asked  the  farmer.  "  I 
should  like  to  see  him  very  much,  for  I  feel  just  now  in  very 
good  spirits !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Little  Klaus ;  "  my  wizard  can  do  everything 
that  I  ask.  Isn't  that  true  ?  "  he  asked,  treading  on  the  sack 
so  that  it  squeaked.  "Do  you  hear?  He  says  'Yes';  but 
that  the  devil  looks  so  ugly  that  we  should  not  like  to  see 
him." 

"Oh!  I'm  not  at  all  afraid.    What  does  he  look  like?" 

"  He  will  show  himself  in  the  shape  of  a  sexton !  " 

"  I  say !  "  said  the  farmer,  "  he  must  be  ugly !     You  must 


242         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

know  that  I  can't  bear  to  look  at  a  sexton!  But  it  doesn't 
matter.  I  know  that  it  is  the  devil  and  I  shan't  mind!  I 
feel  up  to  it  now.  But  he  must  not  come  too  near  me !  " 

"I  must  ask  my  wizard,"  said  Little  Klaus,  treading  on 
the  sack  and  putting  his  ear  to  it. 

"What  does  he  say?" 

"  He  says  you  can  open  the  chest  in  the  corner  there  and 
you  will  see  the  devil  squatting  inside  it ;  but  you  must  hold 
the  lid  so  that  he  shall  not  escape." 

"  Will  you  help  me  to  hold  him  ?  "  begged  the  farmer,  going 
toward  the  chest  where  his  wife  had  hidden  the  real  sexton, 


•THE-FAKtlEK-THINKS-HE-SEES-THEDEVlL' 
•IN  -THE, 


who  was  sitting  inside  in  a  terrible  fright.  The  farmer 
opened  the  lid  a  little  way  and  saw  him  inside. 

"  Ugh  !  "  he  shrieked,  springing  back.  "  Yes,  now  I  have 
seen  him;  he  looked  just  like  our  sexton.  Oh,  it  was  hor- 
rid!" 

So  he  had  to  drink  again,  and  they  drank  till  far  on  into 
the  night. 

"You  must  sell  me  the  wizard,"  said  the  farmer.  "Ask 
anything  you  like  !  I  will  pay  you  down  a  bushel  of  money 
on  the  spot." 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.          243 

"  No,  I  really  can't,"  said  Little  Klaus.  "  Just  think  how 
many  things  I  can  get  from  this  wizard !  " 

"  Ah !  I  should  like  to  have  him  so  much ! "  said  the 
farmer,  begging  very  hard. 

"  Well ! "  said  Little  Klaus  at  last,  "  as  you  have  been  so 
good  as  to  give  me  shelter  to-night  I  will  sell  him.  You  shall 
have  the  wizard  for  a  bushel  of  money,  but  I  must  have  full 
measure." 

"  That  you  shall,"  said  the  farmer.  "  But  you  must  take 
the  chest  with  you.  I  won't  keep  it  another  hour  in  the 
house.  Who  knows  that  he  isn't  in  there  still  ?  " 

Little  Klaus  gave  the  farmer  his  sack  with  the  dry  skin 
and  got  instead  a  good  bushel  of  money.  The  farmer  also 
gave  him  a  wheelbarrow  to  carry  away  his  money  and  the 
chest.  "Farewell,"  said  Little  Klaus;  and  away  he  went 
with  his  money  and  the  big  chest,  wherein  sat  the  sexton. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  wood  was  a  large  deep  river.  The 
water  flowed  so  rapidly  that  you  could  scarcely  swim  against 
the  stream.  A  great  new  bridge  had  been  built  over  it,  on 
the  middle  of  which  Little  Klaus  stopped  and  said  aloud 
so  that  the  sexton  might  hear: 

"Now,  what  am  I  to  do  with  this  stupid  chest?  It  is  as 
heavy  as  if  it  were  filled  with  stones!  I  shall  only  be  tired 
dragging  it  along.  I  will  throw  it  into  the  river.  If  it 
swims  home  to  me,  well  and  good;  and  if  it  doesn't  it's  no 
matter." 

Then  he  took  the  chest  with  one  hand  and  lifted  it  up  a 
little,  as  if  he  were  going  to  throw  it  into  the  water. 

"  No,  don't  do  that ! "  called  out  the  sexton  in  the  chest. 
"  Let  me  get  out  first !  " 

"  Oh,  oh ! "  said  Little  Klaus,  pretending  that  he  was 
afraid.  "He  is  still  in  there!  I  must  throw  him  quickly 
into  the  water  to  drown  him !  " 

"  Oh !  no,  no ! "  cried  the  sexton.  "  I  will  give  you  a 
bushel  of  money  if  you  will  let  me  go !  " 

"Ah,  that's  quite  another  thing!"  said  Little  Klaus, 
opening  the  chest.  The  sexton  crept  out  very  quickly, 
pushed  the  empty  chest  into  the  water,  and  went  to  his 
house,  where  he  gave  Little  Klaus  a  bushel  of  money.  One 
he  had  had  already  from  the  farmer,  and  now  he  had  his 
wheelbarrow  full  of  money. 


244  THE   YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK. 

"  Well,  I  have  got  a  good  price  for  the  horse !  "  said  he  ta 
himself  when  he  shook  all  his  money  out  in  a  heap  in  his 
room.  "  This  will  put  Big  Klaus  in  a  rage  when  he  hears 
how  rich  I  have  become  through  my  one  horse;  but  I  won't 
tell  him  just  yet !  " 

So  he  sent  a  boy  to  Big  Klaus  to  borrow  a  bushel  meas- 
ure from  him. 

"Now  what  can  he  want  with  it?"  thought  Big  Klaus; 
and  he  smeared  some  tar  at  the  bottom,  so  that  of  whatever 
was  measured  a  little  should  remain  in  it.  And  this  is  just 
what  happened;  for  when  he  got  his  measure  back  three 
new  silver  five-shilling  pieces  were  sticking  to  it. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  said  Big  Klaus,  and  he  ran  off 
at  once  to  Little  Klaus. 

"  Where  did  you  get  so  much  money  from  ? " 

"  Oh,  that  was  from  my  horse-skin.  I  sold  it  yesterday 
evening." 

"  That's  certainly  a  good  price !  "  said  Big  Klaus ;  and,  run- 
ning home  in  great  haste,  he  took  an  ax,  knocked  all  his 
four  horses  on  the  head,  skinned  them,  and  went  into  the 
town. 

"  Skins !  skins !  Who  will  buy  skins  ?  "  he  cried  through 
the  streets. 

All  the  shoemakers  and  tanners  came  running  to  ask  him 
what  he  wanted  for  them.  "  A  bushel  of  money  for  each," 
said  Big  Klaus. 

"  Are  you  mad  ?  "  they  all  exclaimed.  "  Do  you  think  we 
have  money  by  the  bushel  ? " 

"  Skins !  skins !  Who  will  buy  skins  ? "  he  cried  again, 
and  to  all  who  asked  him  what  they  cost  he  answered :  "  A 
bushel  of  money." 

"He  is  making  game  of  us,"  they  said;  and  the  shoe- 
makers seized  their  yard  measures  and  the  tanners  their 
leathern  aprons  and  they  gave  Big  Klaus  a  good  beating. 
"  Skins !  skins !  "  they  cried  mockingly ;  "  yes,  we  will  tan 
your  skin  for  you !  Out  of  the  town  with  him ! "  they 
shouted;  and  Big  Klaus  had  to  hurry  off  as  quickly  as  he 
could  if  he  wanted  to  save  his  life. 

"  Aha ! "  said  he  when  he  came  home,  "  Little  Klaus  shall 
pay  dearly  for  this.  I  will  kill  him !  " 

Little  Klaus'   grandmother  had   just  died.     Though   she 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


245 


had  been  very  unkind  to  him  he  was  much  distressed,  and 
he  took  the  dead  woman  and  laid  her  in  his  warm  bed  to 
try  if  he  could  not  bring  her  back  to  life.  There  she  lay 
the  whole  night,  while  he  sat  in  a  corner  and  slept  on  a 
chair,  which  he  had  often  done  before.  And  in  the  night 
as  he  sat  there  the  door  opened  and  Big  Klaus  came  in  with 
his  ax.  He  knew  quite  well  where  Little  Klaus'  bed  stood, 
and  going  up  to  it  he  struck  the  grandmother  on  the  head 


The  Shoemakers  and  Tanners  Drive  Big  Klaus  out  of  the  Town. 

just  where  he  thought  Little  Klaus  would  be.  "There!" 
said  he.  "  Now  you  won't  get  the  best  of  me  again !  "  And 
he  went  home. 

"  What  a  very  wicked  man !  "  thought  Little  Klaus.  "  He 
was  going  to  kill  me!  It  was  a  good  thing  for  my  grand- 
mother that  she  was  dead  already,  or  else  he  would  have 
killed  her!" 

Then  he  dressed  his  grandmother  in  her  Sunday  clothes, 
borrowed  a  horse  from  his  neighbor,  harnessed  the  cart  to 
it,  sat  his  grandmother  on  the  back  seat  so  that  she  could 
not  fall  out  when  he  drove,  and  away  they  went.  When 


246        THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

the  sun  rose  they  were  in  front  of  a  large  inn.  Little  Klaus 
got  down  and  went  in  to  get  something  to  drink.  The  host 
was  very  rich.  He  was  a  very  worthy  but  hot-tempered 
man. 

"  Good-morning !  "  said  he  to  Little  Klaus.  "  You  are  early 
on  the  road." 

"  Yes,"  said  Little  Klaus.  "  I  am  going  to  the  town  with 
my  grandmother.  She  is  sitting  outside  in  the  cart.  I  can- 
not bring  her  in.  Will  you  not  give  her  a  glass  of  mead? 
But  you  will  have  to  speak  loud,  for  she  is  very  hard  of 
hearing." 

"  Oh,  yes,  certainly  I  will ! "  said  the  host ;  and,  pouring 
out  a  large  glass  of  mead,  he  took  it  out  to  the  dead  grand- 
mother, who  was  sitting  upright  in  the  cart. 

"Here  is  a  glass  of  mead  from  your  son,"  said  the  host. 
But  the  dead  woman  did  not  answer  a  word  and  sat  still. 
"  Don't  you  hear  ?  "  cried  the  host  as  loud  as  he  could.  "  Here 
is  a  glass  of  mead  from  your  son ! " 

Then  he  shouted  the  same  thing  again,  and  yet  again,  but 
she  never  moved  in  her  place;  and  at  last  he  grew  angry 
and  threw  the  glass  in  her  face,  so  that  she  fell  back  into 
the  cart,  for  she  was  not  tied  in  her  place. 

"  Hullo ! "  cried  Little  Klaus,  running  out  of  the  door 
and  seizing  the  host  by  the  throat.  "  You  have  killed  my 
grandmother !  Look !  there  is  a  great  hole  in  her  forehead !  " 

"  Oh,  what  a  misfortune ! "  cried  the  host,  wringing  his 
hands.  "  It  all  comes  from  my  hot  temper !  Dear  Little 
Klaus,  I  will  give  you  a  bushel  of  money  and  will  bury 
your  grandmother  as  if  she  were  my  own;  only  don't  tell 
about  it,  or  I  shall  have  my  head  cut  off,  and  that  would 
be  very  uncomfortable." 

So  Little  Klaus  got  a  bushel  of  money,  and  the  host  buried 
his  grandmother  as  if  she  had  been  his  own. 

Now,  when  Little  Klaus  again  reached  home  with  so 
much  money  he  sent  his  boy  to  Big  Klaus  to  borrow  his 
bushel  measure. 

"What's  this?"  said  Big  Klaus.  "Didn't  I  kill  him? 
I  must  see  to  this  myself ! " 

So  he  went  himself  to  Little  Klaus  with  the  measure. 

"Well,  now,  where  did  you  get  all  this  money?"  asked 
he,  opening  his  eyes  at  the  heap. 


THE   YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK.  247 

"  You  killed  my  grandmother — not  me,"  said  Little  Klaus. 
"  I  sold  her  and  got  a  bushel  of  money  for  her." 

"  That  is  indeed  a  good  price !  "  said  Big  Klaus ;  and 
hurrying  home  he  took  an  ax  and  killed  his  grandmother, 
laid  her  in  the  cart,  and  drove  off  to  the  apothecary's  and 
asked  whether  he  wanted  to  buy  a  dead  body. 

"Who  is  it  and  how  did  you  get  it?"  asked  the  apothe- 
cary. 

"  It  is  my  grandmother,"  said  Big  Klaus.  "  I  killed  her  in 
order  to  get  a  bushel  of  money." 

"  You  are  mad !  "  said  the  apothecary.  "  Don't  mention 
such  things  or  you  will  lose  your  head ! "  And  he  began 
to  tell  him  what  a  dreadful  thing  he  had  done,  and  what 
a  wicked  man  he  was,  and  that  he  ought  to  be  punished; 
till  Big  Klaus  was  so  frightened  that  he  jumped  into  the 
cart  and  drove  home  as  hard  as  he  could.  The  apothecary 
and  all  the  people  thought  he  must  be  mad,  so  they  let  him 
go. 

"  You  shall  pay  for  this ! "  said  Big  Klaus  as  he 
drove  home.  "  You  shall  pay  for  this  dearly,  Little 
Klaus ! " 

So  as  soon  as  he  got  home  he  took  the  largest  sack  he 
could  find  and  went  to  Little  Klaus  and  said:  "You  have 
fooled  me  again!  First  I  killed  my  horses,  then  my  grand- 
mother !  It  is  all  your  fault,  but  you  shan't  do  it  again ! " 
And  he  seized  Little  Klaus,  pushed  him  in  the  sack,  and 
threw  it  over  his  shoulder,  crying  out,  "  Now  I  am  going 
to  drown  you !  " 

He  had  to  go  a  long  way  before  he  came  to  the  river, 
and  Little  Klaus  was  not  very  light.  The  road  passed  by 
the  church;  the  organ  was  sounding  and  the  people  were 
singing  most  beautifully.  Big  Klaus  put  down  the  sack 
with  Little  Klaus  in  it  by  the  church  door,  and  thought 
that  he  might  as  well  go  in  and  hear  a  psalm  before  going 
on  further.  Little  Klaus  could  not  get  out,  and  everybody 
was  in  church;  so  he  went  in. 

"  Oh,  dear !  oh,  dear ! "  groaned  Little  Klaus  in  the  sack, 
twisting  and  turning  himself.  But  he  could  not  undo  the 
string. 

There  came  by  an  old,  old  shepherd,  with  snow-white 
hair  and  a  long  staff  in  his  hand.  He  was  driving  a  herd 


248 


THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 


of  COTTS  and  oxen.  These  pushed  against  the  sack  so  that 
it  was  overturned. 

"  Alas !  "  moaned  Little  Klaus ;  "  I  am  so  young  and  yet 
I  must  die !  " 

"And  I,  poor  man,"  said  the  cattle-driver,  "I  am  so  old 
and  yet  I  cannot  die !  " 

"  Open  the  sack,"  called  out  Little  Klaus ;  "  creep  in 
here  instead  of  me  and  you  will  die  in  a  moment !  " 

"I  will  gladly  do  that,"  said  the  cattle-driver;  and  he 
opened  the  sack,  and  Little  Klaus  struggled  out  at  once. 

"  You  will  take  care  of  the  cattle,  won't  you  ? "  asked  the 
old  man,  creeping  into  the  sack,  which  Little  Klaus  fastened 


up  and  then  went  on  with  the  cows  and  oxen.  Soon  after 
Big  Klaus  came  out  of  the  church,  and  taking  up  the  sack  on 
his  shoulders  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  it  had  become  lighter; 
for  the  old  cattle-driver  was  not  half  as  heavy  as  Little 
Klaus. 

"  How  easy  he  is  to  carry  now !     That  must  be  because 
I  heard  part  of  the  service." 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  249 

So  he  went  to  the  river,  which  was  deep  and  broad,  threw 
in  the  sack  with  the  old  driver,  and  called  after  it,  for  he 
thought  Little  Klaus  was  inside: 

"  Down  you  go !     You  won't  mock  me  any  more  now ! >y 

Then  he  went  home;  but  when  he  came  to  the  cross- 
roads, there  he  met  Little  Klaus,  who  was  driving  his  cattle. 

"What's  this?"  said  Big  Klaus.  "Haven't  I  drowned 
you?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Little  Klaus.  "  You  threw  me  into  the  river 
a  good  half -hour  ago !  " 

"  But  how  did  you  get  those  splendid  cattle  ? "  asked  Big 
Klaus. 

"They  are  sea-cattle!"  said  Little  Klaus.  "I  will  tell 
you  the  whole  story,  and  I  thank  you  for  having  drowned 
me,  because  now  I  am  on  dry  land  and  really  rich!  How 
frightened  I  was  when  I  was  in  the  sack!  How  the  wind 
whistled  in  my  ears  as  you  threw  me  from  the  bridge  into 
the  cold  water!  I  sank  at  once  to  the  bottom;  but  I  did 
not  hurt  myself,  for  underneath  was  growing  the  most 
beautiful  soft  grass.  I  fell  on  this,  and  immediately  the 
sack  opened;  the  loveliest  maiden  in  snow-white  garments, 
with  a  green  garland  round  her  wet  hair,  took  me  by  the 
hand  and  said :  *  Are  you  Little  Klaus  ?  Here  are  some 
cattle  for  you  to  begin  with,  and  a  mile  further  down  the 
road  there  is  another  herd,  which  I  will  give  you  as  a  pres- 
ent ! '  Now  1  saw  that  the  river  was  a  great  highroad  for 
the  sea-people.  Along  it  they  traveled  underneath  from  the 
sea  to  the  land  till  the  river  ends.  It  was  so  beautiful,  full 
of  flowers  and  fresh  grass;  the  fishes  which  were  swimming 
in  the  water  shot  past  my  ears  as  the  birds  do  here  in  the 
air.  What  lovely  people  there  were,  and  what  fine  cattle 
were  grazing  in  the  ditches  and  dikes !  " 

"But  why  did  you  come  up  to  us  again?"  asked  Big 
Klaus.  "  I  should  not  have  done  so  if  it  is  so  beautiful  down 
below ! " 

"  Oh ! "  said  Little  Klaus,  "  that  was  just  so  politic  of  me, 
You  heard  what  I  told  you,  that  the  sea-maiden  said  to  me 
a  mile  further  along  the  road — and  by  the  road  she  meant 
the  river,  for  she  can  go  by  no  other  way — there  was  another 
herd  of  cattle  waiting  for  me.  But  I  know  what  windings 
the  river  makee,  now  here,  now  there,  so  that  it  is  a  long 


250         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

way  round.  Therefore,  it  makes  it  much  shorter  if  one  comes 
on  the  land  and  drives  across  the  field  to  the  river.  Thus 
I  have  spared  myself  quite  half  a  mile  and  have  come  much 
quicker  to  my  sea-cattle !  " 

"  Oh,  you're  a  lucky  fellow !  "  said  Big  Klaus.  "Do  you 
think  I  should  also  get  some  cattle  if  I  went  to  the  bottom 
of  the  river?" 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  think  so,"  said  Little  Klaus.  "  But  I  can't 
carry  you  in  a  sack  to  the  river;  you  are  too  heavy  for  me! 
If  you  like  to  go  there  yourself  and  then  creep  into  the 
sack,  I  will  throw  you  in  with  the  greatest  pleasure." 

"Thank  you,"  said  Big  Klaus;  "but  if  I  don't  get  any 
sea-cattle  when  I  come  there,  you  will  have  a  good  hiding, 
mind!" 

"  Oh,  no !    Don't  be  so  hard  on  me !  " 

Then  they  went  to  the  river.  When  the  cattle,  which  were 
thirsty,  caught  sight  of  the  water,  they  ran  as  quickly  as 
they  could  to  drink. 

"  Look  how  they  are  running !  "  said  Little  Klaus.  "  They 
want  to  go  to  the  bottom  again !  " 

"  Yes ;  but  help  me  first,"  said  Big  Klaus,  "  or  else  you 
shall  have  a  beating !  " 

And  so  he  crept  into  the  large  sack,  which  was  lying  on 
the  back  of  one  of  the  oxen.  "  Put  a  stone  in,  for  I  am 
afraid  I  may  not  reach  the  bottom,"  said  Big  Klaus. 

"  It  goes  all  right ! "  said  Little  Klaus ;  but  still  he  laid 
a  big  stone  in  the  sack,  fastened  it  up  tight,  and  then  pushed 
it  in.  Plump !  there  was  Big  Klaus  in  the  water,  and  he  sank 
like  lead  to  the  bottom. 

"I  doubt  if  he  will  find  any  cattle! "  said  Little  Klaus  as 
he  drove  his  own  home. 


PEIISTCE  RING  * 

Once  upon  a  time  there  were  a  king  and  his  queen  in 
their  kingdom.  They  had  one  daughter,  who  was  called 
Ingiborg,  and  one  son,  whose  name  was  Ring.  He  was  less 
fond  of  adventures  than  men  of  rank  usually  were  in  those 
.days,  and  was  not  famous  for  strength  or  feats  of  arms. 
*  From  the  Icelandic. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          251 

When  lie  was  twelve  years  old,  one  fine  winter  day  he  rode 
into  the  forest  along  with  his  men  to  enjoy  himself.  They 
went  on  a  long  way,  until  they  caught  sight  of  a  hind  with 
a  gold  ring  on  its  horns.  The  prince  was  eager  to  catch  it 
if  possible,  so  they  gave  chase  and  rode  on  without  stopping, 
until  all  the  horses  began  to  founder  beneath  them.  At  last 
the  prince's  horse  gave  way  too,  and  then  there  came  over 
them  a  darkness  so  black  that  they  could  no  longer  see  the 
hind.  By  this  time  they  were  far  away  from  any  house, 
and  thought  it  was  high  time  to  be  making  their  way  home 
again,  but  they  found  they  had  got  lost  now.  At  first  they 
all  kept  together,  but  soon  each  began  to  think  that  he 
knew  the  right  way  best;  so  they  separated,  and  all  went  in 
different  directions. 

The  prince,  too,  had  got  lost  like  the  rest,  and  wandered 
on  for  a  time  until  he  came  to  a  little  clearing  in  the  forest 
not  far  from  the  sea,  where  he  saw  a  woman  sitting  on  a 
chair  and  a  big  barrel  standing  beside  her.  The  prince  went 
up  to  her  and  saluted  her  politely,  and  she  received  him 
very  graciously.  He  looked  down  into  the  barrel  then  and 
saw  lying  at  the  bottom  an  unusually  beautiful  gold  ring, 
which  pleased  him  so  much  that  he  could  not  take  his  eyes 
off  it.  The  woman  saw  this  and  said  that  he  might  have  it 
if  he  would  take  the  trouble  to  get  it;  for  which  the  prince 
thanked  her  and  said  it  was  at  least  worth  trying.  So  he 
leaned  over  into  the  barrel,  which  did  not  seem  very  deep, 
and  thought  he  would  easily  reach  the  ring ;  but  the  more  he 
stretched  down  after  it  the  deeper  grew  the  barrel.  As  he 
was  thus  bending  down  into  it  the  woman  suddenly  rose 
up  and  pushed  him  in  head  first,  saying  that  now  he  could 
take  up  his  quarters  there.  Then  she  fixed  the  top  on  the 
barrel  and  threw  it  out  into  the  sea. 

The  prince  thought  himself  in  a  bad  plight  now  as  he  felt 
the  barrel  floating  out  from  the  land  and  tossing  about  on  the 
waves.  How  many  days  he  spent  thus  he  could  not  tell,  but 
at  last  he  felt  that  the  barrel  was  knocking  against  rocks, 
at  which  he  was  a  little  cheered,  thinking  it  was  probably 
land  and  not  merely  a  reef  in  the  sea.  Being  something  of  a 
swimmer,  he  at  last  made  up  his  mind  to  kick  the  bottom  out 
of  the  barrel,  and  having  done  so  he  was  able  to  get  on  shore, 
for  the  rocks  by  the  sea  were  smooth  and  level ;  but  overhead 


252 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


there  were  high  cliffs.  It  seemed  difficult  to  get  up  these, 
but  he  went  along  the  foot  of  them  for  a  little,  till  at  last 
he  tried  to  climb  up,  which  at  last  he  did. 

Having  got  to  the  top,  he  looked  round  about  him  and 
saw  that   he  was   on   an   island,   which  was   covered   with 


joushes  Prince  King  into 


forest,  with  apples  growing,  and  altogether  pleasant  as  far 
as  the  land  was  concerned.  After  he  had  been  there  several 
days  he  one  day  heard  a  great  noise  in  the  forest 
which  made  him  terribly  afraid,  so  that  he  ran  to  hide  him- 
self among  the  trees.  Then  he  saw  a  giant  approaching, 
dragging  a  sledge  loaded  with  wood  and  making  straight 


THE   YELLOW    FAIBY    BOOK.  253 

for  him,  so  that  he  could  see  nothing  for  it  but  to  lie  down 
just  where  he  was.  When  the  giant  came  across  him  he 
stood  still  and  looked  at  the  prince  for  a  little ;  then  he  took 
him  up  in  his  arms  and  carried  him  home  to  his  house  and 
was  exceedingly  kind  to  him.  He  gave  him  to  his  wife, 
saying  that  he  had  found  this  child  in  the  wood,  and  she 
could  have  it  to  help  her  in  the  house.  The  old  woman  was 
greatly  pleased  and  began  to  fondle  the  prince  with  the  ut- 
most delight.  He  stayed  there  with  them  and  was  very 
willing  and  obedient  to  them  in  everything,  while  they  grew 
kinder  to  him  every  day. 

One  day  the  giant  took  him  round  and  showed  him  all 
his  rooms  except  the  parlor.  This  made  the  prince  curious 
to  have  a  look  into  it,  thinking  there  must  be  some  very 
rare  treasure  there.  So  one  day,  when  the  giant  had  gone 
into  the  forest,  he  tried  to  get  into  the  parlor,  and  managed 
to  get  the  door  open  halfway.  Then  he  saw  that  some  liv- 
ing creature  moved  inside  and  ran  along  the  floor  toward 
him  and  said  something,  which  made  him  so  frightened 
that  he  sprang  back  from  the  door  and  shut  it  again.  As 
soon  as  the  fright  began  to  pass  off  he  tried  it  again,  for 
he  thought  it  would  be  interesting  to  hear  what  it  said; 
but  things  went  just  as  before  with  him.  He  then  got  angry 
with  himself,  and  summoning  up  all  his  courage  tried  it  a 
third  time,  and  opened  the  door  of  the  room  and  stood  firm. 
Then  he  saw  that  it  was  a  big  dog,  which  spoke  to  him  and 
said: 

"  Choose  me,  Prince  Ring." 

The  prince  went  away  rather  afraid,  thinking  with  him- 
self that  it  was  no  great  treasure,  after  all;  but,  all  the 
same,  what  it  had  said  to  him  stuck  in  his  mind. 

It  is  not  said  how  long  the  prince  stayed  with  the  giant, 
but  one  day  the  latter  came  to  him  and  said  he  would  now 
take  him  over  to  the  mainland  out  of  the  island,  for  he 
himself  had  no  long  time  to  live.  He  also  thanked  him 
for  his  good  service,  and  told  him  to  choose  some  one  of 
his  possessions,  for  he  would  get  whatever  he  wanted.  Ring 
thanked  him  heartily  and  said  there  was  no  need  to  pay 
nim  for  his  services,  they  were  so  little  worth ;  but  if  he  did 
wish  to  give  him  anything  he  would  choose  what  was  in  the 
parlor.  The  giant  was  taken  by  surprise  and  said: 


254         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

"  There,  you  chose  my  old  woman's  right  hand ;  but  I  must 
not  break  my  word." 

Upon  this  he  went  to  get  the  dog,  which  came  running 
with  signs  of  great  delight;  but  the  prince  was  so  much 
afraid  of  it  that  it  was  all  he  could  do  to  keep  from  show- 
ing his  alarm. 

After  this  the  giant  accompanied  him  down  to  the 
sea,  where  he  saw  a  stone  boat  which  was  just  big  enough 
to  hold  the  two  of  them  and  the  dog.  On  reaching  the 
mainland  the  giant  took  a  friendly  farewell  of  Ring,  and 
told  him  he  might  take  possession  of  all  that  was  in  the 
island  after  he  and  his  wife  died,  which  would  happen 
within  two  weeks  from  that  time.  The  prince  thanked  him 
for  this  and  for  all  his  other  kindnesses,  and  the  giant  re- 
turned home,  while  Ring  went  up  some  distance  from  the 
sea;  but  he  did  not  know  what  land  he  had  come  to  and 
was  afraid  to  speak  to  the  dog.  After  he  had  walked  on  in 
silence  for  a  time  the  dog  spoke  to  him  and  said: 

"  You  don't  seem  to  have  much  curiosity,  seeing  you 
never  ask  my  name." 

The  prince  then  forced  himself  to  ask :  "  What  is  your 
name  ? " 

"  You  had  best  call  me  Snati-Snati,"  said  the  dog.  "  Now 
we  are  coming  to  a  king's  seat,  and  you  must  ask  the  king 
to  keep  us  all  winter  and  to  give  you  a  little  room  for  both 
of  us." 

The  prince  now  began  to  be  less  afraid  of  the  dog. 
They  came  to  the  king  and  asked  him  to  keep  them  all  the 
winter,  to  which  he  agreed.  When  the  king's  men  saw 
the  dog  they  began  to  laugh  at  it  and  make  as  if  they  would 
tease  it;  but  when  the  prince  saw  this  he  advised  them  not 
to  do  it,  or  they  might  have  the  worst  of  it.  They  replied 
that  they  didn't  care  a  bit  what  he  thought. 

After  Ring  had  been  with  the  king  for  some  days  the 
latter  began  to  think  there  was  a  great  deal  in  him  and 
esteemed  him  more  than  the  others.  The  king,  however, 
had  a  counselor  called  Red,  who  became  very  jealous 
when  he  saw  how  much  the  king  esteemed  Ring;  and  one 
day  he  talked  to  him  and  said  that  he  could  not  understand 
why  he  had  so  good  an  opinion  of  this  stranger,  who  had 
not  yet  shown  himself  superior  to  other  men  in  anything. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  255 

The  king  replied  that  it  was  only  a  short  time  since  he 
had  come  there.  Red  then  asked  him  to  send  them  both 
to  cut  down  wood  next  morning,  and  see  which  of  them 
could  do  most  work.  Snati-Snati  heard  this  and  told  it 
to  Ring,  advising  him  to  ask  the  king  for  two  axes,  so  that 
ne  might  have  one  in  reserve  if  the  first  one  got  broken. 
Next  morning  the  King  asked  Ring  and  Red  to  go  and 
cut  down  trees  for  him,  and  both  agreed.  Ring  got  the 
two  axes,  and  each  went  his  own  way;  but  when  the  prince 
had  got  out  into  the  wood  Snati  took  one  of  the  axes  and 
began  to  hew  along  with  him.  In  the  evening  the  king 
came  to  look  over  their  day's  work,  as  Red  had  proposed, 
and  found  that  Ring's  wood-heap  was  more  than  twice 
as  big. 

"  I  suspected,"  said  the  king,  "  that  Ring  was  not  quite 
useless.  Never  have  I  seen  such  a  day's  work." 

Ring  was  now  in  far  greater  esteem  with  the  king  than 
before,  and  Red  was  all  the  more  discontented.  One  day 
he  came  to  the  king  and  said :  "  If  Ring  is  such  a  mighty 
man,  I  think  you  might  ask  him  to  kill  the  wild  oxen  in 
the  wood  here  and  flay  them  the  same  day,  and  bring  you 
the  horns  and  the  hides  in  the  evening." 

"  Don't  you  think  that  a  desperate  errand,"  said  the 
king,  "  seeing  they  are  so  dangerous  and  no  one  has  ever 
yet  ventured  to  go  against  them  ? " 

Red  answered  that  he  had  only  one  life  to  lose,  and  it 
would  be  interesting  to  see  how  brave  he  was;  besides,  the 
king  would  have  good  reason  to  ennoble  him  if  he  over- 
came them.  The  king  at  last  allowed  himself,  though  rather 
unwillingly,  to  be  won  over  by  Red's  persistency,  and  one 
day  asked  Ring  to  go  and  kill  the  oxen  that  were  in  the 
wood  for  him  and  bring  their  horns  and  hides  to  him  in  the 
evening.  Not  knowing  how  dangerous  the  oxen  were,  Ring 
was  quite  ready,  and  went  off  at  once,  to  the  great  delight 
of  Red,  wrho  was  now  sure  of  his  death. 

As  soon  as  Ring  came  in  sight  of  the  oxen  they  came 
bellowing  to  meet  him.  One  of  them  was  tremendously 
big,  the  other  rather  less.  Ring  grew  terribly  afraid. 

"How  do  you  like  them?"  asked  Snati. 

"Not  well  at  all,"  said  the  prince. 

"We  can  do  nothing  else,"  said  Snati,  "than  attack  them 


256 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


if  it  is  to  go  well.  You  will  go  against  the  little  one  and 
I  shall  take  the  other." 

With  this  Snati  leaped  at  the  big  one  and  was  not  long 
in  bringing  him  down.  Meanwhile  the  prince  went  against 
the  other  with  fear  and  trembling,  and  by  the  time  Snati 
came  to  help  him  the  ox  had  nearly  got  him  under,  but 
Snati  was  not  slow  in  helnjing  his  master  to  kill  it. 

Each  of  them  then  began  to  flay  his  own  ox,  but  Eing 
was  only  half  through  by  the  time  Snati  had  finished  his. 
In  the  evening,  after  they  had  finished  their  task,  the 


prince  thought  himself  unfit  to  carry  all  the  horns  and 
both  the  hides,  so  Snati  told  him  to  lay  them  all  on  his 
back  until  they  got  to  the  palace  gate.  The  prince  agreed 
and  laid  everything  on  the  dog  except  the  skin  of  the 
smaller  ox,  which  he  staggered  along  with  himself.  At 
the  palace  gate  he  left  everything  lying,  went  before  the 
king  and  asked  him  to  come  that  length  with  him,  and 
there  handed  over  to  him  the  hides  and  horns  of  the  oxen. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         257 

The  king  was  greatly  surprised  at  his  valor  and  said  he 
knew  no  one  like  him,  and  thanked  him  heartily  for  what 
he  had  done. 

After  this  the  king  set  Ring  next  to  himself,  and  all 
esteemed  him  highly  and  held  him  to  be  a  great  hero;  nor 
could  Red  any  longer  say  anything  against  him,  though  he 
grew  still  more  determined  to  destroy  him.  One  day  a  good 
idea  came  into  his  head.  He  came  to  the  king  and  said  he 
had  something  to  say  to  him. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  said  the  king. 

Red  said  that  he  had  just  remembered  the  gold  cloak, 
gold  chess-board,  and  bright  gold-piece  that  the  king  had 
lost  about  a  year  before. 

"  Don't  remind  me  of  them !  "  said  the  king. 

Red,  however,  went  on  to  say  that  since  Ring  was  such 
a  mighty  man  that  he  could  do  everything,  it  had  occurred 
to  him  to  advise  the  king  to  ask  him  to  search  for  these* 
treasures  and  come  back  with  them  before  Christmas;  in 
return  the  king  should  promise  him  his  daughter. 

The  king  replied  that  he  thought  it  altogether  unbecoming 
to  propose  such  a  thing  to  Ring,  seeing  that  he  could  not  tell 
him  where  the  things  were;  but  Red  pretended  not  to  hear 
the  king's  excuses  and  went  on  talking  about  it  until  the 
king  gave  in  to  him.  One  day,  a  month  or  so  before  Christ- 
mas, the  king  spoke  to  Ring,  saying  that  he  wished  to  ask 
a  great  favor  of  him. 

"What  is  that?"  said  Ring. 

"It  is  this,"  said  the  king:  "that  you  find  for  me  my 
gold  cloak,  my  gold  chess-board,  and  my  bright  gold-piece 
that  were  stolen  from  me  about  a  year  ago.  If  you  can 
bring  them  to  me  before  Christmas  I  will  give  you  my 
daughter  in  marriage." 

"  Where  am  I  to  look  for  them,  then  ? "  said  Ring. 

"  That  you  must  find  out  for  yourself,"  said  the  king. 
"  I  don't  know." 

Ring  now  left  the  king  and  was  very  silent,  for  he  saw 
he  was  in  a  great  difficulty;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he 
thought  it  was  excellent  to  have  such  a  chance  of  winning 
the  king's  daughter.  Snati  noticed  that  his  master  was  at 
a  loss,  and  said  to  him  that  he  should  not  disregard  what 
the  king  had  asked  him  to  do;  but  he  would  have  to  act' 


258 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


Upon  his  advice,  otherwise  he  would  get  into  great  diffi- 
culties. The  prince  assented  to  this  and  began  to  prepare 

for  the  journey. 

After  he  had  taken 
leave  of  the  king  and 
was  setting  out  on  the 
search  Snati  said  to 
him :  "  Now,  you 
must  first  of  all  go 
about  the  neighbor- 
hood and  gather  as 
much  salt  as  ever  you 
can."  The  prince  did 
so,  and  gathered  so 
much  salt  that  he 
could  hardly  carry  it; 
but  Snati  said, 
"  Throw  it  on  my 
back,"  which  he  ac- 
cordingly did,  and  the 
dog  then  ran  on  be- 
fore the  prince  until 
they  came  to  the  foot 
of  a  steep  cliff. 

"We  must  go  up 
here,"  said  Snati. 

"  I  don't  think  that 
will  be  child's  play," 
said  the  prince. 

"Hold  fast  to  my 
tail,"  said  Snati;  and 
in  this  way  he  pulled 
Ring  up  on  the  low- 
est shelf  of  the  rock. 
The  prince  began  to 
get  giddy,  but  up 
went  Snati  on  to  the 
second  shelf.  Ring 
was  nearly  swooning 
by  this  time,  but 
Snati  made  a  third 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          259 

effort  and  reached  the  top  of  the  cliff,  where  the  prince  fell 
down  in  a  faint.  After  a  little,  however,  he  recovered  again, 
and  they  went  on  a  short  distance  along  a  level  plain  until 
they  came  to  a  cave.  This  was  on  Christmas  Eve.  They 
went  up  above  the  cave  and  found  a  window  in  it,  through 
which  they  looked  and  saw  four  trolls  lying  asleep  beside 
the  fire,  over  which  a  large  porridge-pot  was  hanging. 

"Now  you  must  empty  all  the  salt  into  the  porridge- 
pot,"  said  Snati. 

Ring  did  so,  and  soon  the  trolls  wakened  up.  The  old 
hag,  who  was  the  most  frightful  of  them  all,  went  first  to 
taste  the  porridge. 

"  How  comes  this  ? "  she  said.  "  The  porridge  is  salt ! 
I  got  the  milk  by  witchcraft  yesterday  out  of  four  king- 
doms, and  now  it  is  salt !  " 

All  the  others  then  came  to  taste  the  porridge  and  thought 
it  nice,  but  after  they  had  finished  it  the  old  hag  grew  so 
thirsty  that  she  could  stand  it  no  longer  and  asked  her 
daughter  to  go  out  and  bring  her  some  water  from  the  river 
that  ran  near  by. 

"  I  won't  go,"  said  she,  "  unless  you  lend  me  your  bright 
gold-piece." 

"  Though  I  should  die  you  shan't  have  that,"  said  the  hag. 

"  Die,  then !  "  said  the  girl. 

"Well,  then,  take  it,  you  brat!"  said  the  old  hag;  "and 
be  off  with  you  and  make  haste  with  the  water." 

The  girl  took  the  gold  and  ran  out  with  it,  and  it  was  so 
bright  that  it  shone  all  over  the  plain.  As  soon  as  she  came 
to  the  river  she  lay  down  to  take  a  drink  of  the  water,  but 
meanwhile  the  two  of  them  had  got  down  off  the  roof  and 
thrust  her,  head  first,  into  the  river. 

The  old  hag  began  now  to  long  for  the  water,  and  said 
that  the  girl  would  be  running  about  with  the  gold-piece 
all  over  the  plain,  so  she  asked  her  son  to  go  and  get  her  a 
drop  of  water. 

"I  won't  go,"  said  he,  "unless  I  get  the  gold  cloak." 

"  Though  I  should  die  you  shan't  have  that,"  said  the  hag. 

"  Die,  then !  "  said  the  son. 

"  Well,  then,  take  it,"  said  the  old  hag,  "  and  be  off  with 
you,  but  you  must  make  haste  with  the  water." 

He  put  on  the  cloak,  and  when  he  came  outside  it  shone 


260         THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 

so  bright  that  he  could  see  to  go  with  it.  On  reaching  the 
river  he  went  to  take  a  drink  like  his  sister,  but  at  that 
moment  Ring  and  Snati  sprang  upon  him,  took  the  cloak 
from  him,  and  threw  him  into  the  river. 

The  old  hag  could  stand  the  thirst  no  longer  and  asked 
her  husband  to  go  for  a  drink  for  her.  The  brats,  she  said, 
were  of  course  running  about  and  playing  themselves,  just 
as  she  had  expected  they  would,  little  wretches  that  they 
were. 

"  I  won't  go,"  said  the  old  troll,  "  unless  you  lend  me 
the  gold  chess-board." 

"  Though  I  should  die  you  shan't  have  that,"  said  the  hag. 

"  I  think  you  may  just  as  well  do  that,"  said  he,  "  since 
you  won't  grant  me  such  a  little  favor." 

"  Take  it,  then,  you  utter  disgrace ! "  said  the  old  hag ; 
"  since  you  are  just  like  these  two  brats." 

The  old  troll  now  went  out  with  the  gold  chess-board 
and  down  to  the  river,  and  was  about  to  take  a  drink, 
when  Ring  and  Snati  came  upon  him,  took  the  chess-board 
from  him,  and  threw  him  into  the  river.  Before  they  had 
got  back  again,  however,  and  up  on  top  of  the  cave,  they 
saw  the  poor  old  fellow's  ghost  come  marching  up  from 
the  river.  Snati  immediately  sprang  upon  him  and  Ring 
assisted  in  the  attack,  and  after  a  hard  struggle  they  mas- 
tered him  a  second  time.  When  they  got  back  again  to  the 
window  they  saw  that  the  old  hag  was  moving  toward  the 
door. 

"  Now  we  must  go  in  at  once,"  said  Snati,  "  and  try  to 
master  her  there,  for  if  she  once  gets  out  we  shall  have  no 
chance  with  her.  She  is  the  worst  witch  that  ever  lived, 
and  no  iron  can  cut  her.  One  of  us  must  pour  boiling 
porridge  out  of  the  pot  on  her  and  the  other  punch  her  with 
red-hot  iron." 

In  they  went  then,  and  no  sooner  did  the  hag  see  them 
than  she  said :  "  So  you  have  come,  Prince  Ring.  You 
must  have  seen  to  my  husband  and  children." 

Snati  saw  that  she  was  about  to  attack  them  and  sprang 
at  her  with  red-hot  iron  from  the  fire,  while  Ring  kept 
pouring  boiling  porridge  on  her  without  stopping,  and  in 
this  way  they  at  last  got  her  killed.  Then  they  burned 
the  old  troll  and  her  to  ashes  and  explored  the  cave,  where 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK.  261 

they  found  plenty  of  gold  and  treasures.  The  most  valua- 
ble of  these  they  carried  with  them  as  far  as  the  cliff  and 
left  them  there.  Then  they  hastened  home  to  the  king  with 
his  three  treasures,  where  they  arrived  late  on  Christmas 
night,  and  Ring  handed  them  over  to  him. 

The  king  was  beside  himself  with  joy,  and  was  aston- 
ished at  how  clever  a  man  Ring  was  in  all  kinds  of  feats, 
so  that  he  esteemed  him  still  more  highly  than  before  and 
betrothed  his  daughter  to  him;  and  the  feast  for  this  was 
to  last  all  through  Christmastide.  Ring  thanked  the  king 


courteously  for  this  and  all  his  other  kindnesses,  and,  as 
soon  as  he  had  finished  eating  and  drinking  in  the  hall, 
went  off  to  sleep  in  his  own  room.  Snati,  however,  asked 
permission  to  sleep  in  the  prince's  bed  for  that  night,  while 
the  prince  would  sleep  where  the  dog  usually  lay.  Ring 
said  he  was  welcome  to  do  so,  and  that  he  deserved  more 


262  THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

from  him  than  that  came  to.  So  Snati  went  up  into  the 
prince's  bed,  but  after  a  time  he  came  .back  and  told  Ring 
he  could  go  there  himself  now,  but  to  take  care  not  to  meddle 
with  anything  that  was  in  the  bed. 

Now  the  story  comes  back  to  Red,  who  came  into  the 
hall  and  showed  the  king  his  right  arm  wanting  the  hand, 
and  said  that  now  he  could  see  what  kind  of  a  man  his  in- 
tended son-in-law  was,  for  he  had  done  this  to  him  without 
any  cause  whatever.  The  king  became  very  angry  and  said 
he  would  soon  find  out  the  truth  about  it,  and  if  Ring 
had  cut  off  his  hand  without  good  cause  he  should  be 
hanged;  but  if  it  was  otherwise,  then  Red  should  die.  So 
the  king  sent  for  Ring  and  asked  him  for  what  reason  he 
had  done  this.  Snati,  however,  had  just  told  Ring  what 
had  happened  during  the  night,  and  in .  reply  he  asked  the 
king  to  go  with  him  and  he  would  show  him  something. 
The  king  went  with  him  to  his  sleeping-room,  and  saw 
lying  on  the  bed  a  man's  hand  holding  a  sword. 

"  This  hand,"  said  Ring,  "  came  over  the  partition  dur- 
ing the  night,  and  was  about  to  run  me  through  in  my  bed 
if  I  had  not  defended  myself." 

The  king  answered  that  in  that  case  he  could  not  blame 
him  for  protecting  his  own  life,  and  that  Red  was  well 
worthy  of  death.  So  Red  was  hanged,  and  Ring  married 
the  king's  daughter. 

The  first  night  that  they  went  to  bed  together,  Snati 
asked  Ring  to  allow  him  to  lie  at  their  feet,  and  this  Ring 
allowed  him  to  do.  During  the  night  he  heard  a  howling 
and  outcry  beside  them,  struck  a  light  in  a  hurry,  and  saw 
an  ugly  dogVskin  lying  near  him  and  a  beautiful  prince  in 
the  bed.  Ring  instantly  took  the  skin  and  burned  it,  and 
then  shook  the  prince,  who  was  lying  unconscious,  until 
he  woke  up.  The  bridegroom  then  asked  his  name;  he  re- 
plied that  he  was  called  Ring,  and  was  a  king's  son.  In 
his  youth  he  had  lost  his  mother,  and  in  her  place  his 
father  had  married  a  witch,  who  had  laid  a  spell  on  him 
that  he  should  turn  into  a  dog,  and  never  be  released  from 
the  spell  unless  a  prince  of  the  same  name  as  himself  allowed 
him  to  sleep  at  his  feet  the  first  night  after  his  marriage. 
He  added  further :  "  As  soon  as  she  knew  that  you  were 
my  namesake  she  tried  to  get  you  destroyed,  so  thai  you 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.          263 

might  not  free  me  from  the  spell.  She  was  the  hind  that 
you  and  your  companions  chased;  she  was  the  woman  that 
you  found  in  the  clearing  with  the  barrel,  and  the  old  hag 
that  we  just  now  killed  in  the  cave." 

After  the  feasting  was  over  the  two  namesakes,  along 
with  other  men,  went  to  the  cliff  and  brought  all  the  treas- 
ures home  to  the  palace.  Then  they  went  to  the  island  and 
removed  all  that  was  valuable  from  it.  King  gave  to  his 
namesake,  whom  he  had  freed  from  the  spell,  his  sister 
Ingiborg,  and  his  father's  kingdom  to  look  after,  but  he  him- 
self stayed  with  his  father-in-law  the  king,  and  had  half  the 
kingdom  while  he  lived  and  the  whole  of  it  after  his  death. 


THE   SWINEHERD. 

There  was  once  a  poor  prince.  He  possessed  a  kingdom 
which,  though  small,  was  yet  large  enough  for  him  to  marry 
on,  and  married  he  wished  to  be. 

Now,  it  was  certainly  a  little  audacious  of  him  to  ven- 
ture to  say  to  the  emperor's  daughter:  "Will  you  marry 
me  ?  "  But  he  did  venture  to  say  so,  for  his  name  was  known 
far  and  wide.  There  were  hundreds  of  princesses  who  would 
gladly  have  said  "  Yes,"  but  would  she  say  the  same  ? 

Well,  we  shall  see. 

On  the  grave  of  the  prince's  father  grew  a  rose-tree,  a  very 
beautiful  rose-tree.  It  only  bloomed  every  five  years,  and 
then  bore  but  a  single  rose — but,  oh,  such  a  rose!  Its  scent 
was  so  sweet  that  when  you  smelled  it  you  forgot  all  your 
cares  and  troubles.  And  he  had  also  a  nightingale  which 
could  sing  as  if  all  the  beautiful  melodies  in  the  world  were 
shut  up  in  its  little  throat.  This  rose  and  this  nightingale 
the  princess  was  to  have,  and  so  they  were  both  put  into 
silver  caskets  and  sent  to  her. 

The  emperor  had  them  brought  to  him  in  the  great  hall, 
where  the  princess  was  playing  "  Here  comes  a  duke  a-rid- 
ing  "  with  her  ladies-in-waiting.  And  when  she  caught  sight 
of  the  big  caskets  which  contained  the  presents  she  clapped 
her  hands  for  joy. 

"  If  only  it  were  a  little  pussy-cat ! "  she  said.  But  the 
rose-tree  with  the  beautiful  rose  came  out. 


264  THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

"  But  how  prettily  it  is  made ! "  said  all  the  ladies-in- 
waiting. 

"  It  is  more  than  pretty,"  said  the  emperor ;  "  it  ia 
charming ! " 

But  the  princess  felt  it,  and  then  she  almost  began  to  cry. 

"  Ugh !  papa,"  she  said,  "  it  is  not  artificial,  it  is  real ! " 

"  Ugh !  "  said  the  ladies-in-waiting,  "  it  is  real !  " 

"  Let  us  see  first  what  is  in  the  other  casket  before  we 
begin  to  be  angry,"  thought  the  emperor,  and  there  came 
out  the  nightingale.  It  sang  so  beautifully  that  one  could 
scarcely  utter  a  word  against  it. 

"  Superbe !  charmant !  "  said  the  ladies-in-waiting,  for  they 
all  chattered  French,  each  one  worse  than  the  other. 

"  How  much  the  bird  reminds  me  of  the  musical  snuff- 
box of  the  late  empress ! "  said  an  old  courtier.  "  Ah,  yes, 
it  is  the  same  tone,  the  same  execution ! " 

"Yes,"  said  the  emperor;  and  then  he  wept  like  a  little 
child. 

"  I  hope  that  this,  at  least,  is  not  real  ? "  asked  the 
princess. 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  real  bird,"  said  those  who  had  brought  it. 

"  Then  let  the  bird  fly  away,"  said  the  princess ;  and  she 
would  not  on  any  account  allow  the  prince  to  come. 

But  he  was  nothing  daunted.  He  painted  his  face  brown 
and  black,  drew  his  cap  well  over  his  face,  and  knocked  at 
the  door. 

"  Good-day,  emperor,"  he  said.  "  Can  I  get  a  place  here 
as  servant  in  the  castle  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  emperor,  "  but  there  are  so  many  who 
ask  for  a  place  that  I  don't  know  whether  there  will  be  one 
for  you;  but  still  I  will  think  of  you.  Stay,  it  has  just  oc- 
curred to  me  that  I  want  someone  to  look  after  the  swine, 
for  I  have  so  very  many  of  them." 

And  the  prince  got  the  situation  of  imperial  swineherd. 
He  had  a  wretched  little  room  close  to  the  pigsties;  here  he 
had  to  stay,  but  the  whole  day  he  sat  working,  and  when 
evening  was  come  he  had  made  a  pretty  little  pot.  All 
round  it  were  little  bells,  and  when  the  pot  boiled  they 
jingled  most  beautifully  and  played  the  old  tune — 

"  Where  is  Augustus  dear? 
Alas!  he's  not  here,  here,  here!" 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  265 

But  the  most  wonderful  thing  was  that  when  one  held 
one's  finger  in  the  steam  of  the  pot,  then  at  once  one  could 
smell  wrhat  dinner  was  ready  in  any  fireplace  in  the  town. 
That  was  indeed  something  quite  different  from  the  rose. 

Now  the  princess  came  walking  past  with  all  her  ladies- 
in-waiting,  and  when  she  heard  the  tune  she  stood  still  and 
her  face  beamed  with  joy,  for  she  also  could  play.  "  Where 
is  Augustus  dear  ?  " 

It  was  the  only  tune  she  knew,  but  that  she  could  play 
with  one  finger. 

"Why,  that  is  what  I  play!"  she  said.  "He  must  be  a 
most  accomplished  swineherd!  Listen!  Go  down  and  ask 
him  what  the  instrument  costs." 

And  one  of  the  ladies-in-waiting  had  to  go  down;  but 
she  put  on  wooden  clogs. 

"  What  will  you  take  for  the  pot  ? "  asked  the  lady-m- 
waiting. 

"I  will  have  ten  kisses  from  the  princess,"  answered  the 
swineherd. 

"  Heaven  forbid !  "  said  the  lady-in-waiting. 

"Yes-  I  will  sell  it  for  nothing  less,"  replied  the  swine- 
herd. 

"  Well,  what  does  he  say  ? "  asked  the  princess. 

"I  really  hardly  like  to  tell  you,"  answered  the  lady-in- 
waiting. 

"  Oh,  then  you  can  whisper  it  to  me.  He  is  disoblig- 
ing ! "  said  the  princess,  and  went  away.  But  she  had  only 
gone  a  few  steps  when  the  bells  rang  out  so  prettily : 

"  Where  is  Augustus  dear? 
Alas!  he's  not  here,  here,  here!  " 

"  Listen !  "  said  the  princess.  "  Ask  him  whether  he  will 
take  ten  kisses  from  my  ladies-in-waiting." 

"  No,  thank  you,"  said  the  swineherd.  "  Ten  kisses  from 
the  princess,  or  else  I  keep  my  pot." 

"  That  is  very  tiresome !  "  said  the  princess.  "  But  you 
must  put  yourselves  in  front  of  me,  so  that  no  one  can  see." 

And  the  ladies-in-waiting  placed  themselves  in  front  and 
then  spread  out  their  dresses;  so  the  swineherd  got  his  ten 
kisses  and  she  got  the  pot. 

What    happiness   that    was!      The   whole   night    and   the 


266 


THE    YELLOW    FAIEY    BOOK, 


whole  day  the  pot  was  made  to  boil;  there  was  not  a  fire- 
place in  the  whole  town  where  they  did  not  know  what  was 


I,     TttB  SWINEHERD  TAXES  THE  TOT  KISSES 


being  cooked,  whether  it  was  at  the  chancellor's  or  at  the 
shoemaker's. 

The  ladies-in-waiting  danced  and  clapped  their  hands. 

"We  know  who  is  going  to  have  soup  and  pancakes;  we 


THE   YELLOW   FAIRY    BOOK.  267 

know  who  is  going  to  have  porridge  and  sausages — isn't  it 
interesting  ? " 

"  Yes,  very  interesting  indeed ! "  said  the  first  lady-in- 
waiting. 

"  But  don't  say  anything  about  it,  for  I  am  the  emperor's 
daughter." 

"  Oh,  no,  of  course  we  won't ! "  said  everyone. 

The  swineherd — that  is  to  say,  the  prince  (though  they 
did  not  know  he  was  anything  but  a  true  swineherd) — let 
no  day  pass  without  making  something,  and  one  day  he 
made  a  rattle  which,  when  it  was  turned  round,  played  all 
the  waltzes,  galops,  and  polkas  which  had  ever  been  known, 
since  the  world  began. 

"  But  that  is  superbe ! "  said  the  princess  as  she  passed 
by.  "  I  have  never  heard  a  more  beautiful  composition. 
Listen !  Go  down  and  ask  him  what  this  instrument  costs ; 
but  I  won't  kiss  him  again." 

"He  wants  a  hundred  kisses  from  the  princess,"  said  the 
lady-in-waiting  who  had  gone  down  to  ask  him. 

"  I  believe  he  is  mad !  "  said  the  princess,  and  then  she 
went  on ;  but  she  had  only  gone  a  few  steps  when  she  stopped. 
"  One  ought  to  encourage  art,"  she  said.  "  I  am  the  em- 
peror's daughter!  Tell  him  he  shall  have,  as  before,  ten 
kisses;  the  rest  he  can  take  from  my  ladies-in-waiting." 

"  But  we  don't  at  all  like  being  kissed  by  him,"  said  the 
ladies-in-waiting. 

"  That's  nonsense,"  said  the  princess ;  "  and  if  I  can  kiss 
him  you  can  too.  Besides,  remember  that  I  give  you  board 
and  lodging." 

So  the  lady-in-waiting  had  to  go  down  to  him  again. 

"  A  hundred  kisses  from  the  princess,"  said  he,  "  or  each 
keeps  his  own." 

"  Put  yourselves  in  front  of  us,"  she  said  then ;  and  so  all 
the  ladies-in-waiting  put  themselves  in  front,  and  he  began 
to  kiss  the  princess. 

"What  can  that  commotion  be  by  the  pigsties?"  asked 
the  emperor,  who  was  standing  on  the  balcony.  He  rubbed 
his  eyes  and  put  on  his  spectacles.  "  Why,  those  are  the 
ladies-in-waiting  playing  their  games.  I  must  go  down  to 
them." 

So  he  took  off  his  shoes,  which  were  shoes  though  he  had 


268  THE   YELLOW   FA  IKY   BOOK. 

trodden  them  down  into  slippers.  What  a  hurry  he  was  in, 
to  be  sure! 

As  soon  as  he  came  into  the  yard  he  walked  very  softly, 
and  the  ladies-in-waiting  were  so  busy  counting  the  kisses 
and  seeing  fair  play  that  they  never  noticed  the  emperor. 
He  stood  on  tiptoe. 

"  What  is  that  ? "  he  said  when  he  saw  the  kissing ;  and 
then  he  threw  one  of  his  slippers  at  their  heads  just  as  the 
swineherd  was  taking  his  eighty-sixth  kiss. 

"  Be  off  with  you !  "  said  the  emperor,  for  he  was  very 
angry.  And  the  princess  and  the  swineherd  were  driven 
out  of  the  empire. 

Then  she  stood  still  and  wept ;  the  swineherd  was  scolding 
and  the  rain  was  streaming  down. 

"  Alas !  what  an  unhappy  creature  I  am ! "  sobbed  the 
princess.  "  If  I  had  only  taken  the  beautiful  prince !  Alas ! 
how  unfortunate  I  am !  " 

And  the  swineherd  went  behind  a  tree,  washed  the  black 
and  brown  off  his  face,  threw  away  his  old  clothes,  and 
then  stepped  forward  in  his  splendid  dress,  looking  so  beau- 
tiful that  the  princess  was  obliged  to  courtesy. 

"  I  now  come  to  this.  I  despise  you !  "  he  said.  "  You 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  a  noble  prince;  you  did  not 
understand  the  rose  or  the  nightingale,  but  you  could  kiss 
the  swineherd  for  the  sake  of  a  toy.  This  is  what  you  get 
for  it."  And  he  went  into  his  kingdom  and  shut  the  door 
in  her  face,  and  she  had  to  stay  outside  singing: 

41  Where  is  my  Augustus  dear? 
Alas!  he's  not  here,  here,  here! " 


HOW  TO    TELL   A    TKUE    PRINCESS. 

There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  prince  who  wanted  to 
marry  a  princess,  but  she  must  be  a  true  princess.  So  he 
traveled  through  the  whole  world  to  find  one,  but  there  was 
always  something  against  each.  There  were  plenty  of 
princesses,  but  he  could  not  find  out  if  they  were  true  prin- 
cesses. In  every  case  there  was  some  little  defect,  which 
showed  the  genuine  article  was  not  yet  found.  So  he  came 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


269 


home  again  in  very  low  spirits,  for  he  had  \/anted  very 
much  to  have  a  true  princess.  One  night  there  was  a  dread- 
ful storm;  it  thundered  and  lightened  and  the  rain  streamed 


down  in  torrents.  It  was  fearful!  There  was  a  knocking 
heard  at  the  palace  gate,  and  the  old  king  went  to  open  it. 
There  stood  a  princess  outside  the  gate;  but,  oh,  in  what 
a  sad  plight  she  was  from  the  rain  and  the  storm!  The 
water  was  running  down  from  her  hair  and  her  dress  into 
the  points  of  her  shoes  and  out  at  the  heels  again.  And 
yet  she  said  she  was  a  true  princess! 


270  THE    YELLOW    FAIKY    EOOK. 

"  Well,  we  shall  soon  find  that !  "  thought  the  old  queen. 
But  she  said  nothing  and  went  into  the  sleeping-room,  took 
off  all  the  bedclothes,  and  laid  a  pea  on  the  bottom  of  the 
bed.  Then  she  put  twenty  mattresses  on  top  of  the  pea  and 
twenty  eider-down  quilts  on  the  top  of  the  mattresses.  And 
this  was  the  bed  in  which  the  princess  was  to  sleep. 

The  next  morning  she  was  asked  how  she  had  slept. 

"  Oh,  very  badly !  "  said  the  princess.  "  I  scarcely  closed 
my  eyes  all  night !  I  am  sure  I  don't  know  what  was  in  the 
bed.  I  lay  on  something  so  hard  that  my  whole  body  is 
black  and  blue.  It  is  dreadful !  " 

Now  they  perceived  that  she  was  a  true  princess,  because 
she  had  felt  the  pea  through  the  twenty  mattresses  and  the 
twenty  eider-down  quilts. 

No  one  but  a  true  princess  could  be  so  sensitive. 

So  the  prince  married  her,  for  now  he  knew  that  at  last 
he  had  got  hold  of  a  true  princess.  And  the  pea  was  put 
into  the  Royal  Museum,  where  it  is  still  to  be  seen  if  no  one 
has  stolen  it.  Now,  this  is  a  true  story. 


THE  BLUE  MOUNTAINS. 

There  were  once  a  Scotsman  and  an  Englishman  and  an 
Irishman  serving  in  the  army  together,  who  took  it  into 
their  heads  to  run  away  on  the  first  opportunity  they  could 
£et.  The  chance  came,  and  they  took  it.  They  went  on 
traveling  for  two  days  through  a  great  forest,  without  food 
or  drink  and  without  coming  across  a  single  house,  and 
every  night  they  had  to  climb  up  into  the  trees  through  fear 
of  the  wild  beasts  that  were  in  the  wood.  On  the  second 
morning  the  Scotsman  saw  from  the  top  of  his  tree  a  great 
castle  far  away.  He  said  to  himself  that  he  would  certainly 
die  if  he  stayed  in  the  forest  without  anything  to  eat  but 
the  roots  of  grass,  which  would  not  keep  him  alive  very 
long.  As  soon,  then,  as  he  got  down  out  of  the  tree  he  set 
off  toward  the  castle,  without  so  much  as  telling  his  com- 
panions that  he  had  seen  it  at  all.  Perhaps  the  hunger  and 
want  they  had  suffered  had  changed  their  nature  so  much 
that  the  one  did  not  care  what  became  of  the  other  if  he 
could  save  himself.  He  traveled  on  most  of  the  day,  so 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         271 

that  it  was  quite  late  when  he  reached  the  castle  and,  to  his 
great  disappointment,  found  nothing  but  closed  doors  and 
no  smoke  rising  from  the  chimneys.  He  thought  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  die,  after  all,  and  had  lain  down  beside 
the  wall,  when  he  heard  a  window  being  opened  high  above 
him.  At  this  he  looked  up  and  saw  the  most  beautiful 
woman  he  had  ever  set  eyes  on. 

"  Oh,  it  is  fortune  that  has  sent  you  to  me ! "  he  said. 

"  It  is  indeed,"  said  she.  "  What  are  you  in  need  of,  or 
what  has  sent  you  here  ? " 

"•Necessity,"  said  he.  "  I  am  dying  for  want  of  food  and 
drink." 

"  Come  inside,  then,"  she  said ;  "  there  is  plenty  of  both 
here." 

Accordingly,  he  went  in  to  where  she  was,  and  she  opened 
a  large  room  for  him,  where  he  saw  a  number  of  men  lying 
asleep.  She  then  set  food  before  him,  and  after  that  showed 
him  to  the  room  where  the  others  were.  He  lay  down  on  one 
of  the  beds  and  fell  sound  asleep.  And  now  we  must  go 
back  to  the  two  that  he  left  behind  him  in  the  wood. 

When  nightfall  and  the  time  of  the  wild  beasts  came  upon 
these,  the  Englishman  happened  to  climb  up  into  the  very 
same  tree  on  which  the  Scotsman  was  when  he  got  sight  of 
the  castle;  and  as  soon  as  the  day  began  to  dawn  and  the 
Englishman  looked  to  the  four  quarters  of  heaven,  what  did 
he  see  but  the  castle  too!  Off  he  went  without  saying  a 
word  to  the  Irishman,  and  everything  happened  to  him  just 
as  it  had  done  to  the  Scotsman. 

The  poor  Irishman  was  now  left  all  alone,  and  did  not 
know  where  the  others  had  gone  to,  so  he  just  stayed  where 
he  was,  very  sad  and  miserable.  When  night  came  he 
climbed  up  into  the  same  tree  as  the  Englishman  had  done 
on  the  night  before.  As  soon  as  day  came  he  also  saw  the 
castle  and  set  out  toward  it ;  but  when  he  reached  it  he  could 
see  no  signs  of  fire  or  living  being  about  it.  Before  long, 
however,  he  heard  the  window  opened  above  his  head,  looked 
up,  and  beheld  the  most  beautiful  woman  he  had  ever  seen. 
He  asked  if  she  would  give  him  food  and  drink,  and  she  an- 
swered kindly  and  heartily  that  she  would  if  he  would  only 
come  inside.  This  he  did  very  willingly,  and  she  set  before 
him  food  and  drink  that  he  had  never  seen  the  like  of  be- 


272         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

fore.  In  the  room  there  was  a  bed,  with  diamond  rings  hang- 
ing at  every  loop  of  the  curtains,  and  everything  that  was  in 
the  room  besides  astonished  him  so  much  that  he  actually 
forgot  that  he  was  hungry.  When  she  saw  that  he  was  not 
eating  at  all  she  asked  him  what  he  wanted  yet,  to  which 
he  replied  that  he  would  neither  eat  nor  drink  until  he  knew 
who  she  was,  or  where  she  came  from,  or  who  had  put  her 
there. 

"  I  shall  tell  you  that,"  said  she.  "  I  am  an  enchanted 
princess,  and  my  father  has  promised  that  the  man  who 
releases  me  from  the  spell  shall  have  the  third  of  his  king- 
dom while  he  is  alive  and  the  whole  of  it  after  he  is  dead, 
and  marry  me  as  well.  If  ever  I  saw  a  man  who  looked 
likely  to  do  this,  you  are  the  one.  I  have  been  here  for  six- 
teen years  now,  and  no  one  who  ever  came  to  the  castle  has 
asked  me  who  I  was  except  yourself.  Every  other  man  that 
has  come,  so  long  as  I  have  been  here,  lies  asleep  in  the  big 
room  down  there." 

"  Tell  me,  then,"  said  the  Irishman,  "  what  is  the  spell 
that  has  been  laid  on  you  and  how  you  can  be  freed  from 
it." 

"  There  is  a  little  room  there,"  said  the  princess,  "  and  if 
I  could  get  a  man  to  stay  in  it  from  ten  o'clock  till  midnight 
for  three  nights  on  end  I  should  be  freed  from  the  spell." 

"  I  am  the  man  for  you,  then,"  said  he.  "  I  will  take  on 
hand  to  do  it." 

Thereupon  she  brought  him  a  pipe  and  tobacco,  and  he 
went  into  the  room;  but  before  long  he  heard  a  hammering 
and  knocking  on  the  outside  of  the  door  and  was  told  to 
open  it. 

"I 'won't,"  he  said. 

The  next  moment  the  door  came  flying  in,  and  those  out- 
side along  with  it.  They  knocked  him  down,  and  kicked 
him,  and  knelt  on  his  body  till  it  came  to  midnight;  but  as 
soon  as  the  cock  crew  they  all  disappeared.  The  Irishman 
was  little  more  than  alive  by  this  time.  As  soon  as  daylight 
appeared  the  princess  came  and  found  him  lying  full  length 
on  the  floor,  unable  to  speak  a  word.  She  took  a  bottle, 
rubbed  him  from  head  to  foot  with  something  from  it,  and 
thereupon  he  was  as  sound  as  ever;  but  after  what  he  had 
got  that  night  he  was  very  unwilling  to  try  it  a  second  time, 


THE    YELLOW    FAIKY    BOOK. 


273 


The  princess,  however,  entreated  him  to  stay,  saying  that 
the  next  night  would  not  be  so  bad,  and  in  the  end  he  gave 
in  and  stayed. 

When  it  was  getting  near  midnight  he  heard  them  order- 
ing him  to  open  the  door,  and  there  were  three  of  them  for 
every  one  that  there  had  been  the  previous  evening.  He 
did  not  make  the  slightest  movement  to  go  out  to  them  or 
to  open  the  door,  but  before  long  they  broke  it  up  and  were 


in  on  top  of  him.  They  laid  hold  of  him  and  kept  throwing 
him  between  them  up  to  the  ceiling  or  jumping  above 
him  until  the  cock  crew,  when  they  all  disappeared. 
When  day  came  the  princess  went  to  the  room  to  see  if  he 
was  still  alive,  and  taking  the  bottle  put  it  to  his  nostrils, 
which  soon  brought  him  to  himself.  The  first  thing  he 
said  then  was  that  he  was  a  fool  to  go  on  getting  himself 
killed  for  anyone  he  ever  saw,  and  was  determined  to  be 


274         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

off  and  stay  there  no  longer.  When  the  princess  learned 
his  intentions  she  entreated  him  to  stay,  reminding  him  that 
another  night  would  free  her  from  the  spell.  "  Besides," 
she  said,  "  if  there  is  a  single  spark  of  life  in  you  when  the 
day  comes,  the  stuff  that  is  in  this  bottle  will  make  you  as 
sound  as  ever  you  were." 

With  all  this  the  Irishman  decided  to  stay ;  but  that  night 
there  were  three  at  him  for  every  one  that  was  there  the 
two  nights  before,  and  it  looked  very  unlikely  that  he 
would  be  alive  in  the  morning  after  all  that  he  got.  When 
morning  dawned  and  the  princess  came  to  see  if  he  was  still 
alive,  she  found  him  lying  on  the  floor  as  if  dead.  She  tried 
to  see  if  there  was  breath  in  him,  but  could  not  quite  make 
it  out.  Then  she  put  her  hand  on  his  pulse  and  found  a 
faint  movement  in  it.  Accordingly,  she  poured  what  was  in 
the  bottle  on  him,  and  before  long  he  rose  up  on  his  feet 
and  was  as  well  as  ever  he  was.  So  that  business  was  finished 
and  the  princess  was  freed  from  the  spelL 

The  princess  then  told  the  Irishman  that  she  must  go 
away  for  the  present,  but  would  return  for  him  in  a  few 
days  in  a  carriage  drawn  by  four  gray  horses.  He  told  her 
to  "  be  aisy  "  and  not  speak  like  that  to  him.  "  I  have  paid 
dear  for  you  for  the  last  three  nights,"  he  said,  "  if  I  have 
to  part  with  you  now";  but  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  she 
had  disappeared.  He  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  himself 
when  he  saw  that  she  was  gone,  but  before  she  went  she  had 
given  him  a  little  rod,  with  which  he  could,  when  he  pleased, 
waken  the  men  who  had  been  sleeping  there,  some  of  them 
for  sixteen  years. 

After  being  thus  left  alone,  he  went  in  and  stretched  him- 
self on  three  chairs  that  were  in  the  room,  when  what  does 
he  see  coming  in  at  the  door  but  a  little  fair-haired  lad! 

"  Where  did  you  come  from,  my  lad  ? "  said  the  Irishman. 

"  I  came  to  make  ready  your  food  for  you,"  said  he. 

"  Who  told  you  to  do  that  ? "  said  the  Irishman. 

"  My  mistress,"  answered  the  lad — "  the  princess  that  was 
under  the  spell  and  is  now  free." 

By  this  the  Irishman  knew  that  she  had  sent  the  lad  to 
wait  on  him.  The  lad  also  told  him  that  his  mistress  wished 
him  to  be  ready  next  morning  at  nine  o'clock,  when  she 
would  come  for  him  with  the  carriage,  as  she  had  promised. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  275 

He  was  greatly  pleased  at  this,  and  next  morning,  when  the 
time  was  drawing  near,  went  out  into  the  garden;  but  the 
little  fair-haired  lad  took  a  big  pin  out  of  his  pocket  and 
stuck  it  into  the  back  of  the  Irishman's  coat  without  his 
noticing  it,  whereupon  he  fell  sound  asleep. 

Before  long  the  princess  came  with  the  carriage  and  four 
horses  and  asked  the  lad  whether  his  master  was  awake. 
He  said  that  he  wasn't.  "  It  is  bad  for  him,"  said  she, 
"when  the  night  is  not  long  enough  for  him  to  sleep.  Tell 
him  that  if  he  doesn't  meet  me  this  time  to-morrow  it  is 
not  likely  that  he  will  ever  see  me  again  all  his  life." 

As  soon  as  she  was  gone  the  fair-haired  lad  took  the  pin 
out  of  his  master's  coat,  who  instantly  awoke.  The  first 
word  he  said  to  the  lad  was:  "Have  you  seen  her?" 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  "  and  she  bade  me  tell  you  that  if  you 
don't  meet  her  at  nine  o'clock  to-morrow  you  will  never  see 
her  again." 

He  was  very  sorry  when  he  heard  this,  and  could  not 
understand  why  the  sleep  should  have  fallen  upon  him 
just  when  she  was  coming.  He  decided,  however,  to  go 
early  to  bed  that  night,  in  order  to  rise  in  time  next  morn- 
ing, and  so  he  did.  When  it  was  getting  near  nine  o'clock  he 
went  out  to  the  garden  to  wait  till  she  came,  and  the  fair- 
haired  lad  along  with  him ;  but  as  soon  as  the  lad  got  the 
chance  he  stuck  the  pin  into  his  master's  coat  again,  and  he 
fell  asleep  as  before.  Precisely  at  nine  o'clock  came  the  prin- 
cess in  the  carriage  with  four  horses  and  asked  the  lad  if 
his  master  had  got  up  yet;  but  he  said:  "  No,  he  is  asleep, 
just  as  he  was  the  day  before." 

"  Dear !  dear !  "  said  the  princess.  "  I  am  sorry  for  him. 
Was  the  sleep  he  had  last  night  not  enough  for  him? 
Tell  him  that  he  will  never  see  me  here  again;  and  here 
is  a  sword  that  you  will  give  him  in  my  name,  and  my 
blessing  along  with  it." 

With  this  she  went  off,  and  as  soon  as  she  had  gone  the 
lad  took  the  pin  out  of  his  master's  coat.  He  awoke  in- 
stantly, and  the  first  word  he  said  was:  "Have  you  seen 
her  ? "  The  lad  said  that  he  had,  and  there  was  the  sword 
she  had  left  for  him.  The  Irishman  was  ready  to  kill  the 
lad  out  of  sheer  vexation,  but  when  he  gave  a  glance  over 

his  shoulder  not  a  trace  of  the  fair-haired  lad  was  left. 
i 


276  THE    YELLOW    FAIKY    BOOK. 

Eeing  thus  left  all  alone,  lie  thought  of  going  into  the 
room  where  all  the  men  were  lying  asleep,  and  there  among 
the  rest  he  found  his  two  comrades  who  had  deserted  along 
with  him.  Then  he  remembered  what  the  princess  had  told 
him — that  he  had  only  to  touch  them  with  the  rod  she  had 
given  him  and  they  would  all  awake ;  and  the  first  he  touched 
were  his  own  comrades.  They  started  to  their  feet  at  once, 
and  he  gave  them  as  much  silver  and  gold  as  they  could 
carry  when  they  went  away.  There  was  plenty  to  do  before 
he  got  all  the  others  wakened,  for  the  two  doors  of  the  castle 
were  crowded  with  them  all  the  day  long. 

The  loss  of  the  princess  kept  rankling  in  his  mind  day 
and  night,  till  finally  he  thought  he  would  go  about  the 
world  to  see  if  he  could  find  anyone  to  give  him  news  of 
her.  So  he -took  the  best  horse  in  the  stable  and  set  out. 
Three  years  he  spent  traveling  through  forests  and  wilder- 
nesses; but  could  find  no  one  able  to  tell  him  anything  of 
the  princess.  At  last  he  fell  into  so  great  despair  that  he 
thought  he  would  put  an  end  to  his  own  life,  and  for  this 
purpose  laid  hold  of  the  sword  that  she  had  given  him  by 
the  hands  of  the  fair-haired  lad;  but  on  drawing  it  from 
its  sheath  he  noticed  that  there  was  some  writing  on  one 
side  of  the  blade.  He  looked  at  this,  and  read  there: 
"You  will  find  me  in  the  Blue  Mountains."  This  made 
him  take  heart  again,  and  he  gave  up  the  idea  of  killing 
himself,  thinking  that  he  would  go  on  in  hope  of  meeting 
someone  who  could  tell  him  where  the  Blue  Mountains 
were.  After  he  had  gone  a  long  way,  without  thinking 
where  he  was  going,  he  saw  at  last  a  light  far  away  and 
made  straight  for  it.  On  reaching  it  he  found  it  came 
from  a  little  house,  and  as  soon  as  the  man  inside  heard 
the  noise  of  the  horse's  feet  he  came  out  to  see  who  was 
there.  Seeing  a  stranger  on  horseback,  he  asked  what  brought 
him  there  and  where  he  was  going. 

"I  have  lived  here,"  said  he,  "for  three  hundred  years, 
and  all  that  time  I  have  not  seen  a  single  human  being  but 
yourself." 

"I  have  been  going  about  for  the  last  three  years,"  said 
the  Irishman,  "  to  see  if  I  could  find  anyone  who  can  tell 
me  where  the  Blue  Mountains  are." 

"  Come  in,"   said   the   old  man,   "  and   stay  with  me  all 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  27V 

night.  I  have  a  book  which  contains  the  history  of  the 
world,  which  I  shall  go  through  to-night,  and  if  there  is 
such  a  place  as  the  Blue  Mountains  in  it  we  shall  find  it 
out." 

The  Irishman  stayed  there  all  night,  and  as  soon  as  morn- 
ing came  rose  to  go.  The  old  man  said  he  had  not  gone 
to  sleep  all  night  for  going  through  the  book,  but  there  was 
not  a  word  about  the  Blue  Mountains  in  it.  "  But  I'll  tell 
you  what,"  he  said :  "  if  there  is  such  a  place  on  earth  at 
all,  I  have  a  brother  who  lives  nine  hundred  miles  from  here, 
and  he  is  sure  to  know  where  they  are  if  anyone  in  this* 
world  does."  The  Irishman  answered  that  he  could  never 
go  those  nine  hundred  miles,  for  his  horse  was  giving  in  al- 
ready. "  That  doesn't  matter,"  said  the  old  man.  "  I  can 
do  better  than  that.  I  have  only  to  blow  my  whistle,  and 
you  will  be  at  my  brother's  house  before  nightfall." 

So  he  blew  his  whistle,  and  the  Irishman  did  not  know 
where  on  earth  he  was  until  he  found  himself  at  the  other 
old  man's  door,  who  also  told  him  that  it  was  three  hun- 
dred years  since  he  had  seen  anyone  and  asked  him  where 
he  was  going. 

"  I  am  going  to  see  if  I  can  find  anyone  that  can  tell  me 
where  the  Blue  Mountains  are,"  he  said. 

"  If  you  will  stay  with  me  to-night,"  said  the  old  man, 
"  I  have  a  book  of  the  history  of  the  world,  and  I  shall 
know  where  they  are  before  daylight  if  there  is  such  a 
place  in  it  at  all." 

He  stayed  there  all  night,  but  there  was  not  a  word  in 
the  book  about  the  Blue  Mountains.  Seeing  that  he  was 
rather  cast  down,  the  old  man  told  him  that  he  had  a  brother 
nine  hundred  miles  away,  and  that  if  information  could 
be  got  about  them  from  anyone  it  would  be  from  him ;  "  and 
I  will  enable  you,"  he  said,  "  to  reach  the  place  where  he  lives 
before  night."  So  he  blew  his  whistle,  and  the  Irishman 
landed  at  the  brother's  house  before  nightfall.  When  the  old 
man  saw  him  he  said  he  had  not  seen  a  single  man  for  three 
hundred  years,  and  was  very  much  surprised  to  see  anyone 
come  to  him  now. 

"  Where  are  you  going  to  ?  "  he  said. 

"  I  am  going  about  asking  for  the  Blue  Mountains,"  said 
the  Irishman. 


278         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY* BOOK. 

"  The  Blue  Mountains  ? "  said  the  old  man. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Irishman. 

"I  never  heard  the  name  before;  but  if  they  do  exist  I 
shall  l&nd  them  out.  I  am  master  of  all  the  birds  in  the 
world,  and  have  only  to  blow  my  whistle  and  everyone 
will  come  to  me.  I  shall  then  ask  each  of  them  to  tell 
where  it  came  from,  and  if  there  is  any  way  of  finding  out 
the  Blue  Mountains  that  is  it." 

So  he  blew  his  whistle,  and  when  he  blew  it  all  the  birds 
of  the  world  began  to  gather.  The  old  man  questioned 
each  of  them  as  to  where  they  had  come  from,  but  there 
was  not  one  of  them  that  had  come  from  the  Blue  Moun- 
tains. After  he  had  run  over  them  all,  however,  he  missed 
a  big  eagle  that  was  wanting,  and  wondered  that  it  had  not 
come.  Soon  afterward  he  saw  something  big  coming  to- 
ward him,  darkening  the  sky.  It  kept  coming  nearer  and 
growing  bigger,  and  what  was  this,  after  all,  but  the  eagle! 
When  she  arrived  the  old  man  scolded  her  and  asked  what 
had  kept  her  so  long  behind. 

"  I  couldn't  help  it,"  she  said.  "  I  had  more  than  twenty 
times  further  to  come  than  any  bird  that  has  come  here  to- 
day." 

"  Where  have  you  come  from,  then  ? "  said  the  old  man. 

"From  the  Blue  Mountains,"  said  she. 

"  Indeed !  "  said  the  old  man ;  "  and  what  are  they  doing 
there?" 

"  They  are  making  ready  this  very  day,"  said  the  eagle, 
"  for  the  marriage  of  the  daughter  of  the  King  of  the  Blue 
Mountains.  For  three  years  now  she  has  refused  to  marry 
anyone  whatsoever,  until  she  should  give  up  all  hope  of 
the  coming  of  the  man  who  released  her  from  the  spell. 
Now  she  can  wait  no  longer,  for  three  years  is  the  time 
that  she  agreed  with  her  father  to  remain  without  mar- 
rying." 

The  Irishman  knew  that  it  was  for  himself  she  had 
been  waiting  so  long,  but  he  was  unable  to  make  any  better 
of  it,  for  he  had  no  hope  of  reaching  the  Blue  Mountains 
all  his  life.  The  old  man  noticed  how  sad  he  grew,  and 
asked  the  eagle  what  she  would  take  for  carrying  this  man 
on  her  back  to  the  Blue  Mountains. 

"I  must  have  threescore  cattle  killed,"   said   she,  "and 


TRe  Mshmaa  arrives  eft  the  xlu£.Mowitai»i5 


280  THE   YELLOW   FAIRY    BOOK. 

cut  up  into  quarters,  and  every  time  I  look  over  my  shoulder 
he  must  throw  one  of  them  into  my  mouth." 

As  soon  as  the  Irishman  and  the  old  man  heard  her 
demand  they  went  out  hunting,  and  before  evening  they 
had  killed  three  score  cattle.  They  made  quarters  of 
them  as  the  eagle  told  them,  and  then  the  old  man  asked 
her  to  lie  down  till  they  would  get  it  all  heaped  up  on  her 
back.  First  of  all,  though,  they  had  to  get  a  ladder  of 
fourteen  steps  to  enable  them  to  get  on  to  the  eagle's 
back,  and  there  they  piled  up  the  meat  as  well  as  they  could, 
Then  the  old  man  told  the  Irishman  to  mount,  and  to  remem- 
ber to  throw  a  quarter  of  beef  to  her  every  time  she  looked 
round.  He  went  up,  and  the  old  man  gave  the  eagle  the  word 
to  be  off,  which  she  instantly  obeyed;  and  every  time  she 
turned  her  head  the  Irishman  threw  a  quarter  of  beef  into 
her  mouth. 

As  they  came  near  the  borders  of  the  kingdom  of  the 
Blue  Mountains,  however,  the  beef  was  done,  and  when  the 
eagle  looked  over  her  shoulder  what  was  the  Irishman  at 
but  throwing  the  stone  between  her  tail  and  her  neck! 
At  this  she  turned  a  complete  somersault  and  threw  the 
Irishman  off  into  the  sea,  where  he  fell  into  the  bay  that 
was  right  in  front  of  the  king's  palace.  Fortunately  the 
points  of  his  toes  just  touched  the  bottom,  and  he  managed 
to  get  ashore. 

When  he  went  up  into  the  town  all  the  streets  were 
gleaming  with  light  and  the  wedding  of  the  princess  was 
just  about  to  begin.  He  went  into  the  first  house  he  came 
to,  and  this  happened  to  be  the  house  of  the  king's  hen- 
wife.  He  asked  the  old  woman  what  was  causing  all  the 
noise  and  light  in  the  town. 

"  The  princess,"  said  she,  "  is  going  to  be  married  to- 
night against  her  will,  for  she  has  been  expecting  every 
day  that  the  man  who  freed  her  from  the  spell  would  come." 

"  There's  a  guinea  for  you,"  said  he.  "  Go  and  bring  her 
here." 

The  old  woman  went,  and  soon  returned  along  with  the 
princess.  She  and  the  Irishman  recognized  each  other,  and 
were  married,  and  had  a  great  wedding  that  lasted  for  a  year 
and  a  day. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIEY    BOOK.  281 


THE  TINDER-BOX. 

A  soldier  came  inarching  along  the  highroad — left,  right! 
left,  right!  He  had  his  knapsack  on  his  back  and  a  sword 
by  his  side,  for  he  had  been  to  the  wars  and  was  now  re- 
turning home. 

An  old  witch  met  him  on  the  road.  She  was  very  ugly 
to  look  at:  her  under  lip  hung  down  to  her  breast. 

"  Good-evening,  soldier !  "  she  said.  "  What  a  fine  sword 
and  knapsack  you  have!  You  are  something  like  a  soldier! 
you  ought  to  have  as  much  money  as  you  would  like  to 
carry !  " 

"  Thank  you,   old  witch,"  said  the  soldier. 

"  Do  you  see  that  great  tree  there  ? "  said  the  witch,  point- 
ing to  a  tree  beside  them.  "  It  is  hollow  within.  You  must 
climb  up  to  the  top,  and  then  you  will  see  a  hole  through 
which  you  can  let  yourself  down  into  the  tree.  I  will  tie  a 
rope  round  your  waist,  so  that  I  may  be  able  to  pull  you  up 
again  when  you  call." 

"  What  shall  I  do  down  there  ? "  asked  the  soldier. 

"  Get  money !  "  answered  the  witch.  "  Listen !  When 
you  reach  the  bottom  of  the  tree  you  will  find  yourself  in 
a  large  hall;  it  is  light  there,  for  there  are  more  than  three 
hundred  lamps  burning.  Then  you  will  see  three  doors, 
which  you  can  open — the  keys  are  in  the  locks.  If  you 
go  into  the  first  room  you  will  see  a  great  chest  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor  with  a  dog  sitting  upon  it;  he  has  eyes 
as  large  as  saucers,  but  you  needn't  trouble  about  him. 
I  will  give  you  my  blue  check  apron,  which  you  must  spread 
out  upon  the  floor  and  then  go  back  quickly  and  fetch  the  dog 
and  set  him  upon  it ;  open  the  chest  and  take  as  much  money 
as  you  like.  It  is  copper  there.  If  you  would  rather  have  sil- 
ver you  must  go  into  the  next  room,  where  there  is  a  dog  with 
eyes  as  large  as  mill-wheels.  But  don't  take  any  notice  of 
him;  just  set  him  upon  my  apron  and  help  yourself  to  the 
money.  If  you  prefer  gold  you  can  get  that  too  if  you  go  in- 
to the  third  room,  and  as  much  as  you  like  to  carry.  But  the 
dog  that  guards  the  chest  there  has  eyes  as  large  as  the  Round 
Tower  at  Copenhagen!  He  is  a  savage  dog,  I  can  tell  you; 
but  you  needn't  be  afraid  of  him,  either.  Only  put  him  on 


282         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

my  apron  and  he  won't  touch  you,  and  you  can  take  out 
of  the  chest  as  much  gold  as  you  like !  " 

"  Come,  this  is  not  bad ! "  said  the  soldier.  "  But  what 
am  I  to  give  you,  old  witch — for  surely  you  are  not  going 
to  do  this  for  nothing  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  am ! "  replied  the  witch.  "  Not  a  single  far- 
thing will  I  take!  For  me  you  shall  bring  nothing  but  an 
old  tinder-box  which  my  grandmother  forgot  last  time  she 
was  down  there." 

"  Well,  tie  the  rope  round  my  waist !  "  said  the  soldier. 

"  Here  it  is,"  said  the  witch,  "  and  here  is  my  blue-check 
apron." 

Then  the  soldier  climbed  up  the  tree,  let  himself  down 
through  the  hole,  and  found  himself  standing,  as  the  witch 
had  said,  underground  in  the  large  hall  where  the  three 
hundred  lamps  were  burning. 

Well,  he  opened  the  first  door.  Ugh!  there  sat  the  dog 
with  eyes  as  big  as  saucers  glaring  at  him. 

"  You  are  a  fine  fellow !  "  said  the  soldier,  and  putting 
him  on  the  witch's  apron  took  as  much  copper  as  his  pockets 
could  hold;  then  he  shut  the  chest,  put  the  dog  on  it  again, 
and  went  into  the  second  room.  Sure  enough,  there  sat  the 
dog  with  eyes  as  large  as  mill-wheels. 

"  You  had  better  not  look  at  me  so  hard !  "  said  the  soldier. 
"  Your  eyes  will  come  out  of  their  sockets !  " 

And  then  he  set  the  dog  on  the  apron.  When  he  saw  all 
the  silver  in  the  chest  he  threw  away  the  copper  he  had 
taken  and  filled  his  pockets  and  knapsack  with  nothing  but 
silver. 

Then  he  went  into  the  third  room.  Horrors!  the  dog 
there  had  two  eyes,  each  as  large  as  the  Round  Tower  at 
Copenhagen,  spinning  round  in  his  head  like  wheels. 

"  Good-evening ! "  said  the  soldier  and  saluted,  for  he 
liad  never  seen  a  dog  like  this  before.  But  when  he  had 
examined  him  more  closely  he  thought  to  himself,  "  Now, 
then,  I've  had  enough  of  this !  "  and  put  him  down  on  the 
floor  and  opened  the  chest.  Heavens!  what  a  heap  of  gold 
there  was!  With  all  that  he  could  buy  up  the  whole  town 
and  all  the  sugar  pigs,  all  the  tin  soldiers,  whips,  and  rock- 
ing-horses in  the  whole  world.  Now  he  threw  away  all  the 
silver  with  which  he  had  filled  his  pockets  and  knapsack 


THE    YELLOW    FAIKY    BOOK. 


283 


and  filled  them  with  gold  instead — yes,  all  his  pockets,  his 
knapsack,  cap,  and  boots  even,  so  that  he  could  hardly  walk. 
Now  he  was  rich  indeed.  He  put  the  dog  back  upon  the 
chest,  shut  the  door,  and  called  up  through  the  tree: 

"  Now  pull  me  up  again,  old  witch !  " 

"  Have  you  got  the  tinder-box  also ! "  asked  the  witch. 

"  Botheration !  "  said  the  soldier,  "  I  had  clean  forgotten 
it ! "  And  then  he  went  back  and  fetched  it. 

The  witch  pulled  him  up,  and  there  he  stood  again  on  the 


Ok  Sadter   fills   his 

with.  Honey 

highroad,  with  pockets,  knapsack,  cap,  and  boots  filled  with 
gold. 

"  What  do  you  want  to  do  with  the  tinder-box  ? "  asked 
the  soldier. 

"  That  doesn't  matter  to  you,"  replied  the  witeh.  "  You 
have  got  your  money,  give  me  my  tinder-box." 

"We'll  see!"  said  the  soldier.  "Tell  me  at  once  what 
you  want  to  do  with  it,  or  I  will  draw  my  sword  and  cut 
off  your  head !  " 

"  No !  "  screamed  the  witch. 

The  soldier  immediately  cut  off  her  head.  That  was  the 
end  of  her !  But  he  tied  up  all  his  gold  in  her  apron,  slung  it 


284         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

like  a  bundle  over  his  shoulder,  put  the  tinder-box  in  his 
pocket,  and  set  cut  toward  the  town. 

It  was  a  splendid  town!  He  turned  into  the  finest  inn, 
ordered  the  best  chamber  and  his  favorite  dinner;  for  now 
that  he  had  so  much  money  he  was  really  rich. 

It  certainly  occurred  to  the  servant  who  had  to  clean  his 
boots  that  they  were  astonishingly  old  boots  for  such  a  rich 
lord.  But  that  was  because  he  had  not  yet  bought  new 
ones;  next  day  he  appeared  in  respectable  boots  and  fine 
clothes.  Now,  instead  of  a  common  soldier  he  had  become 
a  noble  lord,  and  the  people  told  him  about  all  the  grand 
doings  of  the  town  and  the  king,  and  what  a  beautiful  prin- 
cess his  daughter  was. 

"  How  can  one  get  to  see  her  ? "  asked  the  soldier. 

"  She  is  never  to  be  seen  at  all,"  they  told  him.  "  She 
lives  in  a  great  copper  castle  surrounded  by  many  walls 
and  towers.  No  one  except  the  king  may  go  in  or  out,  for 
it  is  prophesied  that  she  will  marry  a  common  soldier,  and 
the  king  cannot  submit  to  that." 

"  I  should  very  much  like  to  see  her,"  thought  the  soldier ; 
but  he  could  not  get  permission. 

Now  he  lived  very  gayly,  went  to  the  theater,  drove  in 
the  king's  garden,  and  gave  the  poor  a  great  deal  of  money, 
which  was  very  nice  of  him;  he  had  experienced  in  former 
times  how  hard  it  is  not  to  have  a  farthing  in  the  world. 
'Now  he  was  rich,  wore  fine  clothes,  and  made  many  friends, 
who  all  said  that  he  was  an  excellent  man,  a  real  nobleman. 
And  the  soldier  liked  that.  But  as  he  was  always  spending 
money  and  never  made  any  more,  at  last  the  day  came  when 
he  had  nothing  left  but  two  shillings,  and  he  had  to  leave 
the  beautiful  rooms  in  which  he  had  been  living,  and  go  into 
a  little  attic  under  the  roof,  and  clean  his  own  boots  and  mend 
them  with  a  darning-needle.  None*  of  his  friends  came 
to  visit  him  there,  for  there  were  too  many  stairs  to  climb. 

It  was  dark  evening,  and  he  could  not  even  buy  a  light. 
But  all  at  once  it  flashed  across  him  that  there  was  a 
little  end  of  tinder  in  the  tinder-box  which  he  had  taken 
from  the  hollow  tree  into  which  the  witch  had  helped  him. 
He  found  the  box  with  the  tinder  in  it;  but  just  as  he  was 
kindling  a  light  and  had  struck  a  spark  out  of  the  tinder- 
box,  the  door  burst  open,  and  the  dog  with  eyes  as  large  as 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          285 

saucers,  which  he  had  seen  down-  in  the  tree,  stood  before 
him  and  said : 

"  What  does  my  lord  command  ?  " 

"What's  the  meaning  of  this?"  exclaimed  the  soldier. 
"  This  is  a  pretty  kind  of  tinder-box  if  I  can  get  whatever 
I  want  like  this !  Get  me  money !  "  he  cried  to  the  dog,  and 
hey  presto !  he  was  off  and  back  again,  holding  a  great  purse 
full  of  money  in  his  mouth. 

Now  the  soldier  knew  what  a  capital  tinder-box  this  was. 
If  he  rubbed  once,  the  dog  that  sat  on  the  chest  of  copper 
appeared ;  if  he  rubbed  twice,  there  came  the  dog  that  watched 
over  the  silver  chest;  and  if  he  rubbed  three  times,  the  one 
that  guarded  the  gold  appeared.  Now,  the  soldier  went 
down  again  to  the  beautiful  rooms  and  appeared  once  more 
in  splendid  clothes.  All  his  friends  immediately  recognized 
him  again  and  paid  him  great  court. 

One  day  he  thought  to  himself,  "  It  is  very  strange  that 
110  one  can  get  to  see  the  princess.  They  all  say  she  is  very 
pretty,  but  what's  the  use  of  that  if  she  has  to  sit  forever 
in  the  great  copper  castle  with  all  the  towers?  Can  I  not 
manage  to  see  her  somehow  ?  Where  is  my  tinder-box  ? " 
And  so  he  struck  a  spark,  and,  presto!  there  came  the  dog 
with  eyes  as  large  as  saucers. 

"  It  is  the  middle  of  the  night,  I  know,"  said  the  soldier, 
"  but  I  should  very  much  like  to  see  the  princess  for  a  mo- 
ment." 

The  dog  was  already  outside  the  door,  and  before  the 
soldier  could  look  around  in  he  came  with  the  princess. 
She  was  lying  asleep  on  the  dog's  back,  and  was  so  beauti- 
ful that  anyone  could  see  she  was  a  real  princess.  The 
soldier  really  could  not  refrain  from  kissing  her — he  was 
such  a  thorough  soldier.  Then  the  dog  ran  back  with  the 
princess.  But  when  it  was  morning  and  the  king  and 
queen  were  drinking  tea,  the  princess  said  that  the  night 
before  she  had  had  such  a  strange  dream  about  a  dog  and 
a  soldier:  she  had  ridden  on  the  dog's  back  and  the  soldier 
had  kissed  her. 

"  That  is  certainly  a  fine  story,"  said  the  queen.  But 
the  next  night  one  of  the  ladies-in-waiting  was  to  watch 
at  the  princess'  bed,  to  see  if  it  was  only  a  dream  or  if  it 
had  actually  happened. 


286 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


The  soldier  had  an  overpowering  longing  to  see  the  prin- 
cess again,  and  so  the  dog  came  in  the  middle  of  the  night 
and  fetched  her,  running  as  fast  as  he  could.  But  the  lady- 
in-waiting  slipped  on  India-rubber  shoes  and  followed  them. 
When  she  saw  them  disappear  into  a  large  house  she  thought 
to  herself,  "  Now  I  know  where  it  is,"  and  made  a  great 
cross  on  the  door  with  a  piece  of  chalk.  Then  she  went  home 
and  lay  down,  and  the  dog  came  back  with  the  princess. 
But  when  he  saw  that  a  cross  had  been  made  on  the  door  of 
the  house  where  the  soldier  lived,  he  took  a  piece  of  chalk 


also  and  made  crosses  on  all  the  doors  in  the  town;  and  that 
was  very  clever,  for  now  the  lady-in-waiting  could  not  find 
the  right  house,  as  there  were  crosses  on  all  the  doors. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  king,  queen,  ladies-in-waiting, 
and  officers  came  out  to  see  where  the  princess  had  been. 

"  There  it  is !  "  said  the  king,  when  he  saw  the  first  door 
with  a  cross  on  it. 

"  No,  there  it  is,  my  dear ! "  said  the  queen  when  she  like- 
wise saw  a  door  with  a  cross. 

"  But  here  is  one  and  there  is  another ! "  they  all  ex- 
claimed. Wherever  they  looked  there  was  a  cross  on  the 
door.  Then  they  realized  that  the  sign  would  not  help  them 
at  all. 

But  the  queen  was  an  extremely  clever  woman,  who  could 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  287 

do  a  great  deal  more  than  just  drive  in  a  coach.  She  took 
her  great  golden  scissors,  cut  up  a  piece  of  silk,  and  made  a 
pretty  little  bag  of  it.  This  she  filled  with  the  finest  buck- 
wheat grains  and  tied  it  round  the  princess'  neck;  this  done 
she  cut  a  little  hole  in  the  bag,  so  that  the  grains  would  strew 
the  whole  road  wherever  the  princess  went. 

In  the  night  the  dog  came  again,  took  the  princess  on 
his  back,  and  ran  away  with  her  to  the  soldier,  who  was 
very  much  in  love  with  her  and  would  have  liked  to  have 
been  a  prince,  so  that  he  might  have  had  her  for  his  wife. 

The  dog  did  not  notice  how  the  grains  were  strewn  right 
from  the  castle  to  the  soldier's  window,  where  he  ran  up  the 
wall  with  the  princess. 

In  the  morning  the  king  and  the  queen  saw  plainly 
where  their  daughter  had  been,  and  they  took  the  soldier 
and  put  him  into  prison. 

There  he  sat.  Oh,  how  dark  and  dull  it  was  there!  And 
they  told  him :  "  To-morrow  you  are  to  be  hanged."  Hear- 
ing that  did  not  exactly  cheer  him,  and  he  had  left  his 
tinder-box  in  the  inn. 

I^ext  morning  he  could  see  through  the  iron  grating  in 
front  of  his  little  window  how  the  people  were  hurrying 
out  of  the  town  to  see  him  hanged.  He  heard  the  drums 
and  saw  the  soldiers  marching ;  all  the  people  were  run- 
ning to  and  fro.  Just  below  his  window  was  a  shoemaker's 
apprentice,  with  leather  apron  and  shoes.  He  was  skipping 
along  so  merrily  that  one  of  his  shoes  flew  off  and  fell  against 
the  wall,  just  where  the  soldier  was  sitting  peeping  through 
the  iron  grating. 

"  Oh,  shoemaker's  boy,  you  needn't  be  in  such  a  hurry !  " 
said  the  soldier  to  him.  "  There's  nothing  going  on  till 
I  arrive.  But  if  you  will  run  back  to  the  house  where  I 
lived  and  fetch  me  my  tinder-box  I  will  give  you  four  shill- 
ings. But  you  must  put  your  best  foot  foremost." 

The  shoemaker's  boy  was  very  willing  to  earn  four  shill- 
ings, and  fetched  the  tinder-box,  gave  it  to  the  soldier,  and — 
yes — now  you  shall  hear. 

Outside  the  town  a  great  scaffold  had  been  erected,  and 
all  round  were  standing  the  soldiers  and  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  people.  The  king  and  queen  were  sitting  on  a 
magnificent  throne  opposite  the  judges  and  the  whole  council 


288 


THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 


The  soldier  was  already  standing  on  the  top  of  the  ladder, 
but  when  they  wanted  to  put  the  rope  round  his  neck  he 
said  that  the  fulfillment  of  one  innocent  request  was  al- 


"  He  was  skipping  along  so  merrily." 

ways  granted  to  a  poor  criminal  before  he  underwent  his 
punishment.     He    would   like   so   much    to   smoke   a   small 
pipe  of  tobacco;  it  would  be  his  last  pipe  in  this  world. 
The  king  could  not  refuse  him  this,  and  so  he  took  out 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         289 

his  tinder-box  and  rubbed  it  once,  twice,  three  times.  And, 
lo  and  behold!  there  stood  all  three  dogs — the  one  with 
eyes  as  large  as  saucers,  the  second  with  eyes  as  large  as 
mill-wheels,  and  the  third  with  eyes  each  as  large  as  the 
Round  Tower  of  Copenhagen. 

"  Help  me  now,  so  that  I  may  not  be  hanged !  "  cried  the 
soldier.  And  thereupon  the  dogs  fell  upon  the  judges  and 
the  whole  council,  seized  some  by  the  legs,  others  by  the 
nose,  and  threw  them  so  high  into  the  air  that  they  fell  and 
were  smashed  to  pieces. 

"  I  won't  stand  this !  "  said  the  king ;  but  the  largest  dog 
seized  him  too,  and  the  queen  as  well,  and  threw  them  up 
after  the  others.  This  frightened  the  soldiers,  and  all  the 
people  cried :  "  Good  soldier,  you  shall  be  our  king  and 
many  the  beautiful  princess !  " 

Then  they  put  the  soldier  into  the  king's  coach,  and  the 
three  dogs  danced  in  front,  crying  "  Hurrah !  "  And  the 
boys  whistled  and  the  soldiers  presented  arms. 

The  princess  came  out  of  the  copper  castle  and  became 
queen;  and  that  pleased  her  very  much. 

The  wedding  festivities  lasted  for  eight  days,  and  the 
dogs  sat  at  table  and  made  eyes  at  everyone. 


THE  WITCH  IN  THE  STONE  BOAT.* 

There  were  once  a  king  and  a  queen,  and  they  had  a 
son  called  Sigurd,  who  was  very  strong  and  active  and 
good-looking.  When  the  king  came  to  be  bowed  down 
with  the  weight  of  years  he  spoke  to  his  son,  and  said  that 
now  it  was  time  for  him  to  look  out  for  a  fitting  match  for 
himself,  for  he  did  not  know  how  long  he  might  last  now, 
and  he  would  like  to  see  him  married  before  he  died. 

Sigurd  was  not  averse  to  this,  and  asked  his  father  where 
he  thought  it  best  to  look  for  a  wife.  The  king  answered 
that  in  a  certain  country  there  was  a  king  who -had  a  beau- 
tiful daughter,  and  he  thought  it  would  be  most  desirable 
if  Sigurd  could  get  her.  So  the  two  narted,  and  Sigurd 
prepared  for  the  journey  and  went  to  where  his  father  had 
directed  him. 

*From  the  Icelandic. 


290         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

He  came  to  the  king  and  asked  his  daughter's  hand, 
which  he  readily  granted  him,  but  only  on  the  condition 
that  he  should  remain  there  as  long  as  he  could,  for  the 
king  himself  was  not  strong  and  not  very  able  to  govern 
his  kingdom.  Sigurd  accepted  this  condition,  but  added 
that  he  would  have  to  get  leave  to  go  home  again  to  his 
own  country  when  he  heard  news  of  his  father's  death. 
After  that  Sigurd  married  the  princess  and  helped  his 
father-in-law  to  govern  the  kingdom.  He  and  the  princess 
loved  each  other  dearly,  and  after  a  year  a  son  came  to 
them,  who  was  two  years  old  when  word  came  to  Sigurd 
that  his  father  was  dead.  Sigurd  now  prepared  to  return 
home  with  his  wife  and  child  and  went  on  board  ship  to  go 
by  sea. 

They  had  sailed  for  several  days,  when  the  breeze  sud- 
denly fell  and  there  came  a  dead  calm  at  a  time  when  they 
needed  only  one  day's  voyage  to  reach  home.  Sigurd  and 
his  queen  were  one  day  on  deck  when  most  of  the  others 
on  the  ship  had  fallen  asleep.  There  they  sat  and  talked 
for  a  while,  and  had  their  little  son  along  with  them.  After 
a  time  Sigurd  became  so  weary  with  sleep  that  he  could  no 
longer  keep  awake,  so  he  went  below  and  lay  down,  leav- 
ing the  queen  alone  on  the  deck  playing  with  her  son. 

A  good  while  after  Sigurd  had  gone  below  the  queen 
saw  something  black  on  the  sea  which  seemed  to  be  com- 
ing nearer.  As  it  approached  she  could  make  out  that  it 
was  a  boat,  and  could  see  the  figure  of  someone  sitting  in  it 
and  rowing  it.  At  last  the  boat  came  alongside  the  ship, 
and  now  the  queen  saw  that  it  was  a  stone  boat,  out  of 
which  there  came  up  on  board  the  ship  a  fearfully  ugly 
witch.  The  queen  was  more  frightened  than  words  can 
describe,  and  could  neither  speak  a  word  or  move  from 
the  place,  so  as  to  awaken  the  king  or  the  sailors.  The 
witch  came  right  up  to  the  queen,  took  the  child  from  her, 
and  laid  it  on  the  deck;  then  she  took  the  queen  and 
stripped  her  of  all  her  fine  clothes,  which  she  proceeded  to 
put  on  herself  and  looked  then  like  a  human  being.  Last 
of  all  she  took  the  queen,  put  her  into  the  boat,  and  said : 

"  This  spell  I  lay  upon  you,  that  you  slacken  not  your 
course  until  you  come  to  my  brother  in  the  underworld." 

The  queen  sat  stunned  and  motionless,  but  the  boat  at 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 


291 


once  shot  away  from  the  ship  with  her,  and  before  long  she 
was  out  of  sight. 

When  the  boat  could  no  longer  be  seen  the  child  began 
to  cry,  and  though  the  witch  tried  to  quiet  it  she  could  not 


manage  it ;  so  she  went  below  to  where  the  king  was  sleep- 
ing with  the  child  on  her  arm,  and  awakening  him,  scolding 


292         THE  YELLOW  FALEY  BOOK. 

him  for  leaving  them  alone  on  deck  while  he  and  all  the 
crew  were  asleep.  It  was  great  carelessness  of  him,  she 
said,  to  leave  no  one  to  watch  the  ship  with  her. 

Sigurd  was  greatly  surprised  to  hear  his  queen  scold  him 
so  much,  for  she  had  never  said  an  angry  word  to  him  be- 
fore; but  he  thought  it  was  quite  excusable  in  this  case, 
and  tried  to  quiet  the  child  along  with  her,  but  it  was  no 
use.  Then  he  went  and  wakened  the  sailors  and  bade  them 
hoist  the  sails,  for  a  breeze  had  sprung  up  and  was  blowing 
straight  toward  the  harbor. 

They  soon  reached  the  land  which  Sigurd  was  to  rule 
over,  and  found  all  the  people  sorrowful  for  the  old  king's 
death,  but  they  became  glad  when  they  got  Sigurd  back  to 
the  court,  and  made  him  king  over  them. 

The  king's  son,  however,  hardly  ever  stopped  crying  from 
the  time  he  had  been  taken  from  his  mother  on  the  deck 
of  the  ship,  although  he  had  always  been  such  a  good 
child  before,  so  that  at  last  the  king  had  to  get  a  nurse  for 
him — -one  of  the  maids  of  the  court.  As  soon  as  the  child 
got  into  her  charge  he  stopped  crying,  and  behaved  as  well 
as  before. 

After  the  sea  voyage  it  seemed  to  the  king  that  the  queen 
had  altered  very  much  in  many  ways,  and  not  for  the  bet- 
ter. He  thought  her  much  more  haughty  and  stubborn  and 
difficult  to  deal  with  than  she  used  to  be.  Before  long  others 
began  to  notice  this  as  well  as  the  king.  In  the  court  there 
were  two  young  fellows,  one  of  eighteen  years  old,  the  other 
of  nineteen,  who  were  very  fond  of  playing  chess  and  often 
sat  long  inside  playing  at  it.  Their  room  was  next  the 
queen's,  and  often  during  the  day  they  heard  the  queen 
talking. 

One  day  they  paid  more  attention  than  usual  when  they 
heard  her  talk,  and  put  their  ears  close  to  a  crack  in  the 
wall  between  the  rooms,  and  heard  the  queen  say  quite 
plainly:  "When  I  yawn  a  little,  then  I  am  a  nice  little 
maiden;  when  I  yawn  halfway,  then  I  am  half  a  troll;  and 
when  I  yawn  fully,  then  I  am  a  troll  altogether." 

As  she  said  this  she  yawned  tremendously,  and  in  a 
moment  had  put  on  the  appearance  of  a  fearfully  ugly 
troll.  Then  there  came  up  through  the  floor  of  the  room 
a  three-headed  giant  with  a  trough  full  of  meat,  who 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.         293 

saluted  her  as  his  sister  and  set  down  the  trough  before 
her.  She  began  to  eat  out  of  it,  and  never  stopped  till  she 
had  finished  it.  The  young  fellows  saw  all  this  going  on, 
but  did  not  hear  the  two  of  them  say  anything  to  each 
other.  They  were  astonished,  though,  at  how  greedily  the 
queen  devoured  the  meat  and  how  much  she  ate  of  it, 
and  were  no  longer  surprised  that  she  took  so  little  when 
she  sat  at  table  with  the  king.  As  soon  as  she  had  finished 
it  the  giant  disappeared  with  the  trough  by  the  same  way 
as  he  had  come,  and  the  queen  returned  to  her  human  shape. 

Now  we  must  go  back  to  the  king's  son  after  he  had  been 
put  in  charge  of  the  nurse.  One  evening,  after  she  had  lit 
a  candle  and  was  holding  the  child,  several  planks  sprang 
up  in  the  floor  of  the  room,  and  out  at  the  opening  came  a 
beautiful  woman  dressed  in  white,  with  an  iron  belt  round 
her  waist,  to  which  was  fastened  an  iron  chain  that  went 
down  into  the  ground.  The  woman  came  up  to  the  nurse, 
took  the  child  from  her,  and  pressed  it  to  her  breast;  then 
she  gave  it  back  to  the  nurse  and  returned  by  the  same 
way  as  she  had  come,  and  the  floor  closed  over  her  again. 
Although  the  woman  had  not  spoken  a  single  word  to  her, 
the  nurse  was  very  much  frightened,  but  told  no  one 
about  it. 

Next  evening  the  same  thing  happened  again,  just  as 
before,  but  as  the  woman  was  going  away  she  said  in  a  sad 
tone,  "  Two  are  gone  and  one  only  is  left,"  and  then  dis- 
appeared as  before.  The  nurse  was  still  more  frightened 
when  she  heard  the  woman  say  this,  and  thought  that  per- 
haps some  danger  was  hanging  over  the  child,  though  she 
had  no  ill-opinion  of  the  unknown  woman,  who,  indeed, 
had  behaved  toward  the  child  as  if  it  had  been  her  own.  The 
most  mysterious  thing  was  the  woman  saying,  "  and  only 
one  is  left";  but  the  nurse  guessed  that  this  must  mean 
that  only  one  day  was  left,  since  she  had  come  for  two  days 
already. 

At  last  the  nurse  made  up  her  mind  to  go  to  the  king. 
She  told  him  the  whole  story  and  asked  him  to  be  present 
in  person  the  next  day  about  the  time  when  the  woman  usu- 
ally came.  The  king  promised  to  do  so,  and  came  to  the 
nurse's  room  a  little  before  the  time  and  sat  down  on  a 
chair  with  his  drawn  sword  in  his  hand.  Soon  after  the 


hews    the  cham  asunder 


THE   YELLOW   FAIKY    BOOK.  295 

planks  in  the  floor  sprang  up  as  before,  and  the  woman 
came  up,  dressed  in  white,  with  the  iron  belt  and  chain. 
The  king  saw  at  once  that  it  was  his  own  queen,  and  im- 
mediately hewed  asunder  the  iron  chain  that  was  fastened 
to  the  belt.  This  was  followed  by  such  noises  and  crash- 
ings  down  in  the  earth  that  all  the  king's  palace  shook,  so 
that  no  one  expected  anything  else  than  to  see  every  bit  of 
it  shaken  to  pieces.  At  last  the  noises  and  shakings  stopped, 
and  they  began  to  come  to  themselves  again. 

The  king  and  queen  embraced  each  other,  and  she  told 
him  the  whole  story — how  the  witch  came  to  the  ship  when 
they  were  all  asleep  and  sent  her  off  in  the  boat.  After 
she  had  gone  so  far  that  she  could  not  see  the  ship,  she 
sailed  on  through  darkness  until  she  landed  beside  a  three- 
headed  giant.  The  giant  wished  her  to  marry  him,  but 
she  refused;  whereupon  he  shut  her  up  by  herself  and  told 
her  she  would  never  get  free  until  she  consented.  After  a 
time  she  began  to  plan  how  to  get  her  freedom,  and  at  last 
told  him  that  she  would  consent  if  he  would  allow  her  to 
visit  her  son  on  earth  three  days  on  end.  This  he  agreed 
to,  but  put  on  her  this  iron  belt  and  chain,  the  other  end  of 
which  he  fastened  round  his  own  waist,  and  the  great  noises 
that  were  heard  when  the  king  cut  the  chain  must  have  been 
caused  by  the  giant's  falling  down  the  underground  passage 
when  the  chain  gave  way  so  suddenly.  The  giant's  dwelling, 
indeed,  was  right  under  the  palace,  and  the  terrible  shakings 
must  have  been  caused  by  him  in  his  death-throes. 

The  king  now  understood  how  the  queen  he  had  had  for 
some  time  past  had  been  so  ill-tempered.  He  at  once  had  a 
sack  drawn  over  her  head  and  made  her  be  stoned  to  death, 
and  after  that  torn  to  pieces  by  untamed  horses.  The  two 
young  fellows  also  told  now  what  they  had  heard  and  seen 
in  the  queen's  room,  for  before  this  they  had  been  afraid 
to  say  anything  about  it,  on  account  of  the  queen's  power. 

The  real  queen  was  now  restored  to  all  her  dignity  and 
was  beloved  by  all.  The  nurse  was  married  to  a  nobleman^ 
and  the  king  and,  <^ueen  gave  her  splendid  presents. 


296  THE   YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK. 


THUMBELINA. 

There  was  once  a  woman  who  wanted  to  have  quite  a 
tiny  little  child,  but  she  did  not  know  where  to  get  one 
from.  So  one  day  she  went  to  an  old  witch  and  said  to  her: 

"  I  should  so  much  like  to  have  a  tiny  little  child.  Can 
you  tell  me  where  I  can  get  one  ? " 

"  Oh,  we  have  just  got  one  ready !  "  said  the  witch.  "  Here 
is  a  barleycorn  for  you,  but  it's  not  the  kind  the  farmer 
sows  in  his  fields  or  feeds  the  cocks  and  hens  with,  I  can 
tell  you.  Put  it  in  a  flower-pot,  and  then  you  will  see  some- 
thing happen." 

"  Oh,  thank  you ! "  said  the  woman,  and  gave  the  witch 
a  shilling,  for  that  was  what  it  cost.  Then  she  went  home 
and  planted  the  barleycorn.  Immediately  there  grew  out 
of  it  a  large  and  beautiful  flower  which  looked  like  a  tulip, 
but  the  petals  were  tightly  closed  as  if  it  were  still  only  a  bud. 

"  What  a  beautiful  flower ! "  exclaimed  the  woman,  and 
she  kissed  the  red  and  yellow  petals ;  but  as  she  kissed  them 
the  flower  burst  open.  It  was  a  real  tulip,  such  as  one  can 
see  any  day,  but  in  the  middle  of  the  blossom,  on  the  green 
velvety  petals,  sat  a  little  girl,  quite  tiny,  trim,  and  pretty. 
She  was  scarcely  half  a  thumb  in  height,  so  they  called  her 
Thumbelina.  An  elegant  polished  walnut  shell  served 
Thumbelina  as  a  cradle,  the  blue  petals  of  a  violet  were  her 
mattress,  and  a  rose-leaf  her  coverlid.  There  she  lay  at 
night,  but  in  the  daytime  she  used  to  play  about  on  the  table. 
Here  the  woman  had  put  a  bowl,  surrounded  by  a  ring  of 
flowers,  with  their  stalks  in  water,  in  the  middle  of  which 
floated  a  great  tulip  petal,  and  on  this  Thumbelina  sat  and 
sailed  from  one  side  of  the  bowl  to  the  other,  rowing  herself 
with  two  white  horsehairs  for  oars.  It  was  such  a  pretty 
sight!  She  could  sing,  too,  with  a  voice  more  soft  and 
sweet  than  had  ever  been  heard  before. 

One  night,  when  she  was  lying  in  her  pretty  little  bed, 
an  old  toad  crept  in  through  a  broken  pane  in  the  window. 
She  was  very  ugly,  clumsy,  and  clammy;  she  hopped  on  to 
the  table  where  Thumbelina  lay  asleep  under  the  red  rose- 
leaf. 

"  This  would  make  a  beautiful  wife  for  my  son,"  said 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 


297 


the  toad,  taking  up  the  walnut-shell,  with  Thumbelina 
inside,  and  hopping  with  it  through  the  window  into  the 
garden. 

There  flowed  a  great  wide  stream,  with  slippery  and  marshy 
banks;  here  the  toad  lived  with  her  son.  Ugh!  how  ugly 
and  clammy  he  was,  just  like  his  mother!  "Croak!  croak! 
croak ! "  was  all  that  he  could  say  when  he  saw  the  pretty 
little  girl  in  the  walnut-shell. 

"Don't  talk  so  loud  or  you'll  wake  her,"  said  the  old 
toad.  "  She  might  escape  us  even  now ;  she  is  as  light  as  a 
feather.  We  will  put  her  at  once  on  a  broad  water-lily 


leaf  in  the  stream.  That  will  be  quite  an  island  for  her; 
she  is  so  small  and  light.  She  can't  run  away  from  us  there 
while  we  are  preparing  the  guest-chamber  under  the  marsh 
where  she  shall  live." 

Outside  in  the  brook  grew  many  water-lilies,  with  broad 
green  leaves,  which  looked  as  if  they  were  swimming  about 
on  the  water.  The  leaf  farthest  away  was  the  largest,  and 
to  this  the  old  toad  swam  with  Thumbelina  in  her  walnut- 
shell. 

The  tiny  Thumbelina  woke  up  very  early  in  the  morn- 


298         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

ing,  and  when  she  saw  where  she  was  she  began  to  cry 
bitterly;  for  on  every  side  of  the  great  green  leaf  was  water, 
and  she  could  not  get  to  the  land. 

The  old  toad  was  down  under  the  marsh  decorating  her 
room  with  rushes  and  yellow  marigold  leaves,  to  make  it 
very  grand  for  her  new  daughter-in-law;  then  she  swam  out 
with  her  ugly  son  to  the  leaf  where  Thumbelina  lay.  She 
wanted  to  fetch  the  pretty  cradle  to  put  it  into  her  room 
before  Thumbelina  herself  came  there.  The  old  toad  bowed 
low  in  the  water  before  her  and  said :  "  Here  is  my  son ; 
you  shall  marry  him  and  live  in  great  magnificence  down 
under  the  marsh." 

"  Croak !  croak !  croak ! "  was  all  that  the  son  could  say. 
Then  they  took  the  neat  little  cradle  and  swam  away  with 
it;  but  Thumbelina  sat  alone  on  the  great  green  leaf  and 
wept,  for  she  did  not  want  to  live  with  the  clammy  toad  or 
marry  her  ugly  son.  The  little  fishes  swimming  about 
under  the  water  had  seen  the  toad  quite  plainly  and  heard 
what  she  had  said,  so  they  put  up  their  heads  to  see  the 
little  girl.  When  they  saw  her  they  thought  her  so  pretty 
that  they  were  very  sorry  she  should  go  down  with  the 
ugly  toad  to  live.  No,  that  must  not  happen.  They 
assembled  in  the  water  around  the  green  stalk  which  sup- 
ported the  leaf  on  which  she  was  sitting  and  nibbled  the 
stem  in  two.  Away  floated  the  leaf  down  the  stream,  bear- 
ing Thumbelina  far  beyond  reach  of  the  toad. 

On  she  sailed  past  several  towns,  and  the  little  birds  sitting 
in  the  bushes  saw  her  and  sang :  "  What  a  pretty  little  girl !  " 
The  leaf  floated  further  and  further  away;  thus  Thumbelina 
left  her  native  land. 

A  beautiful  little  white  butterfly  fluttered  above  her  and 
she,  too,  was  delighted,  for  now  the  toads  could  not  reach 
her,  and  it  was  so  beautiful  where  she  was  traveling;  the 
sun  shone  on  the  water  and  made  it  sparkle  like  the  brightest 
silver.  She  took  off  her  sash  and  tied  one  end  round  the 
butterfly;  the  other  end  she  fastened  to  the  leaf  so  that  now 
it  glided  along  with  her  faster  than  ever. 

A  great  cockchafer  came  flying  past.  He  caught  sight 
of  Thumbelina,  and  in  a  moment  had  put  his  arms  round 
her  slender  waist  and  had  flown  off  with  her  to  a  tree.  The 
green  leaf  floated  away  down  the  stream,  and  the  butterfly 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


299 


with  it,  for  he  was  fastened  to  the  leaf  and  could  not  get 
loose  from  it.  Oh,  dear!  how  terrified  poor  little  Thumbe- 
lina  was  when  the  cockchafer  flew  off  with  her  to  the  tree! 
But  she  was  especially  distressed  on  the  beautiful  white 
butterfly's  account,  as  she  had  tied  him  fast,  so  that  he  could 
not  get  away  he  must  starve  to  death.  But  the  cockchafer 
did  not  trouble  himself  about  that.  He  sat  down  with  her 
on  a  large  green  leaf,  gave  her  the  honey  out  of  the  flowers 
to  eat,  and  told  her  that  she  was  very  pretty,  although  she 


wasn't  in  the  least  like  a  cockchafer.  Later  on  all  the  other 
cockchafers  who  lived  in  the  same  tree  came  to  pay  calls. 
They  examined  Thumbelina  closely  and  remarked: 

"  Why,  she  has  only  two  legs !    How  very  miserable !  " 

"  She  has  no  feelers !  "  cried  another. 

"  How  ugly  she  is ! "  saad  all  the  lady  chafers — and  yet 
Thumbelina  was  really  very  pretty. 

The  cockchafer  who  had  stolen  her  knew  this  very  well, 
but  when  he  heard  all  the  ladies  saying  she  was  ugly  he 
began  to  think  so  too  and  would  not  keep  her;  she  might 
go  wherever  she  liked.  So  he  flew  down  from  the  tree 
with  her  and  put  her  on  a  daisy.  There  she  sat  and  wept, 
because  she  was  so  ugly  that  the  cockchafer  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  her;  and  yet  she  was  the  most  beautiful 
creature  imaginable,  so  soft  and  delicate,  like  the  loveliest 
roee-leaf. 


300  THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

The  whole  summer  poor  little  Thumbelina  lived  alone  in 
the  great  wood.  She  plaited  a  bed  for  herself  of  blades  of 
grass  and  hung  it  up  under  a  clover-leaf,  so  that  she  was 
protected  from  the  rain ;  she  gathered  honey  from  the  flowers 
for  food  and  drank  the  dew  on  the  leaves  every  morning. 
Thus  the  summer  and  autumn  passed,  but  then  came  winter 
— the  long,  cold  winter.  All  the  birds  who  had  sung  so 
sweetly  about  her  had  flown  away;  the  trees  shed  their 
leaves,  the  flowers  died;  the  great  clover-leaf  under  which 
she  had  lived  curled  up,  and  nothing  remained  of  it  but  the 
withered  stalk.  She  was  terribly  cold,  for  her  clothes  were 
ragged  and  she  herself  was  so  small  and  thin.  Poor  little 
Thumbelina — she  would  surely  be  frozen  to  death!  It  be- 
gan to  snow,  and  every  snowflake  that  fell  on  her  was  to 
her  as  a  whole  shovelful  thrown  on  one  of  us,  for  we  are 
so  big,  and  she  was  only  an  inch  high.  She  wrapped  her- 
self round  in  a  dead  leaf,  but  it  was  torn  in  the  middle  and 
gave  her  no  warmth;  she  was  trembling  with  cold. 

Just  outside  the  wood  where  she  was  now  living  lay  a 
great  cornfield.  But  the  corn  had  been  gone  a  long  time; 
only  the  dry,  bare  stubble  was  left  standing  in  the  frozen 
ground.  This  made  a  forest  for  her  to  wander  about  in. 
All  at  once  she  came  across  the  door  of  a  field-mouse  who 
had  a  little  hole  under  a  cornstalk.  There  the  mouse  lived 
warm  and  snug,  with  a  storeroom  full  of  corn,  a  splendid 
kitchen  and  dining  room.  Poor  little  Thumbelina  went  up 
to  the  door  and  begged  for  a  little  piece  of  barley,  for  she 
had  not  had  anything  to  eat  for  the  last  two  days. 

"  Poor  little  creature !  "  said  the  field-mouse,  for  she  was 
a  kind-hearted  old  thing  at  the  bottom.  "  Come  into  my 
warm  room  and  have  some  dinner  with  me." 

As  Thumbelina  pleased  her  she  said:  "As  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  you  may  spend  the  winter  with  me;  but  you 
must  keep  my  room  clean  and  tidy  and  tell  me  stories,  for  I 
like  that  very  much." 

And  Thumbelina  did  ail  that  the  kind  old  field-mouse 
asked,  and  did  it  remarkably  well  too. 

"  Now  I  am  expecting  a  visitor,"  said  the  field-mouse. 
"  My  neighbor  comes  to  call  on  me  once  a  week.  He  is  in 
better  circumstances  than  I  am,  has  great  big  rooms,  and 
wears  a  fine  black-velvet  coat.  If  you  could  only  marry 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK.          301 

him  you  would  be  well  provided  for.  But  he  is  blind.  You 
must  tell  him  all  the  prettiest  stories  you  know." 

But  Thumbelina  did  not  trouble  her  head  about  him,  for 
he  was  only  a  mole.  He  came  and  paid  them  a  visit  in  his 
black- velvet  coat. 

"He  is  so  rich  and  so  accomplished,"  the  field-mouse  told 
her.  "  His  house  is  twenty  times  larger  than  mine.  He 
possesses  great  knowledge,  but  he  cannot  bear  the  sun  and 
the  beautiful  flowers,  and  speaks  slightingly  of  them,  for 
he  has  never  seen  them." 

Thumbelina  had  to  sing  to  him,  so  she  sang  "Lady-bird, 
lady-bird,  fly  away  home ! "  and  other  songs  so  prettily  that 
the  mole  fell  in  love  with  her;  but  he  did  not  say  anything 
— he  was  a  very  cautious  man.  A  short  time  before  he 
had  dug  a  long  passage  through  the  ground  from  his  own 
house  to  that  of  his  neighbor;  in  this  he  gave  the  field- 
mouse  and  Thumbelina  permission  to  walk  as  often  as  they 
liked.  But  he  begged  them  not  to  be  afraid  of  the  dead 
bird  that  lay  in  the  passage;  it  was  a  real  bird  with  beak 
and  feathers,  and  must  have  died  a  little  time  ago,  and  now 
laid  buried  just  where  he  had  made  his  tunnel.  The  mole 
took  a  piece  of  rotten  wood  in  his  mouth,  for  that  glows 
like  fire  in  the  dark,  and  went  in  front,  lighting  them  through 
the  long  dark  passage.  When  they  came  to  the  place  where 
the  dead  bird  lay  the  mole  put  his  broad  nose  against  the 
ceiling  and  pushed  a  hole  through,  so  that  the  daylight 
could  shine  down.  In  the  middle  of  the  path  lay  a  dead  swal- 
low, his  pretty  wings  pressed  close  to  his  sides,  his  claws 
and  head  drawn  under  his  feathers ;  the  poor  bird  had  evi- 
dently died  of  cold.  Thumbelina  was  very  sorry,  for  she  was, 
very  fond  of  all  little  birds ;  they  had  sung  and  twittered  so 
beautifully  to  her  all  through  the  summer.  But  the  mole 
kicked  him  with  his  bandy  legs  and  said: 

"  Now  he  can't  sing  any  more !  It  must  be  very  miser- 
able to  be  a  little  bird !  I'm  thankful  that  none  of  my  little 
children  are.  Birds  always  starve  in  winter." 

"  Yes,  you  speak  like  a  sensible  man,"  said  the  field-mouse. 
"  What  has  a  bird,  in  spite  of  all  his  singing,  in  the  winter- 
time? He  must  starve  and  freeze,  and  that  must  be  very 
pleasant  for  him,  I  must  say !  " 

Thumbelina   did  not  say  anything;  but  when  the  other 


302         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

two  had  passed  on  she  bent  down  to  the  bird,  brushed  aside 
the  feathers  from  his  head,  and  kissed  his  closed  eyes  gently. 
"  Perhaps  it  was  he  that  sang  to  me  so  prettily  in  the  sum- 
mer," she  thought.  "  How  much  pleasure  he  did  give  me, 
dear  little  bird !  " 

The  mole  closed  up  the  hole  again  which  let  in  the  light 
and  then  escorted  the  ladies  home.  But  Thumbelina  could 
not  sleep  that  night;  so  she  got  out  of  bed  and  plaited  a 
great  big  blanket  of  straw,  and  carried  it  off  and  spread  it 
over  the  dead  bird,  and  piled  upon  it  thistledown  as  soft  as 
cotton-wool  which  she  had  found  in  the  field-mouse's  room, 
so  that  the  poor  little  thing  should  lie  warmly  buried. 

"  Farewell,  pretty  little  bird !  "  she  said.     "  Farewell,  and 


thank  you  for  your  beautiful  songs  in  the  summer,  when 
the  trees  were  green  and  the  sun  shone  down  warmly  on 
us !  "  Then  she  laid  her  head  against  the  bird's  heart.  But 
the  bird  was  not  dead :  he  had  been  frozen,  but  now  that  she 
had  warmed  him  he  was  coming  to  life  again. 

In  autumn  the  swallows  fly  away  to  foreign  lands,  but 
there  are  some  who  are  late  in  starting,  and  then  they  get 
so  cold  that  they  drop  down  as  if  dead,  and  the  snow  comes 
and  covers  them  over. 

Thumbelina  trembled,  she  was  so  frightened,  for  the  bird 
was  very  large  in  comparison  with  herself — only  an  inch  high. 
But  she  took  courage,  piled  up  the  down  more  closely  over 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          303 

the  poor  swallow,  and  fetched  her  own  coverlid  and  laid  it 
over  his  head. 

Next  night  she  crept  out  again  to  him.  There  he  was, 
alive,  but  very  weak.  He  could  only  open  his  eyes  for  a 
moment  and  look  at  Thumbelina,  who  was  standing  in  front 
of  him  with  a  piece  of  rotten  wood  in  her  hand,  for  she  had 
no  other  lantern. 

"  Thank  you,  pretty  little  child !  "  said  the  swallow  to  her. 
"  I  am  so  beautifully  warm !  Soon  I  shall  regain  my 
strength,  and  then  I  shall  be  able  to  fly  out  again  into  the 
warm  sunshine." 

"  Oh ! "  she  said,  "  it  is  very  cold  outside ;  it  is  snowing 
and  freezing!  Stay  in  your  warm  bed;  I  will  take  care  of 
you!" 

Then  she  brought  him  water  in  a  petal,  which  he  drank, 
after  which  he  related  to  her  how  he  had  torn  one  of  his 
wings  on  a  bramble,  so  that  he  could  not  fly  as  fast  as  the 
other  swallows,  who  had  flown  far  away  to  warmer  lands. 
So  at  last  he  had  dropped  down  exhausted,  and  then  he 
could  remember  no  more.  The  whole  winter  he  remained 
down  there,  and  Thumbelina  looked  after  him  and  nursed 
him  tenderly.  Neither  the  mole  nor  the  field-mouse  learned 
anything  about  this,  for  they  could  not  bear  the  poor 
swallow. 

When  the  spring  came  and  the  sun  warmed  the  earth 
again  the  swallow  said  farewell  to  Thumbelina,  who 
opened  the  hole  in  the  roof  for  him  which  the  mole  had 
made.  The  sun  shone  down  brightly  upon  her,  and  the 
swallow  asked  if  she  would  go  with  him;  she  could  sit 
upon  his  back.  Thumbelina  wanted  very  much  to  fly  far 
away  into  the  greenwood,  but  she  knew  that  the  old  field- 
mouse  would  be  sad  if  she  ran  away. 

"  No,  I  mustn't  come !  "  she  said. 

"  Farewell,  dear  good  little  girl,"  said  the  swallow,  and 
flew  off  into  the  sunshine.  Thumbelina  gazed  after  him 
with  the  tears  standing  in  her  eyes,  for  she  was  very  fond  of 
the  swallow. 

"  Tweet !  tweet ! "  sang  the  bird,  and  flew  into  the  green- 
wood. Thumbelina  was  very  unhappy.  She  was  not 
allowed  to  go  out  into  the  warm  sunshine.  The  corn  which 
Iiafl  been  sowed  in  the  field  over  the  field-mouse's  home 


304 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


grew  up  high  into  the  air,  and  made  a  thick  forest  for  the 
poor  little  girl,  who  was  only  an  inch  high. 

"  Now  you  are  to  be  a  bride,  Thumbelina ! "  said  the  field- 
mouse,  "  for  our  neighbor  has  proposed  for  you !  What  a 
piece  of  fortune  for  a  poor  child  like  you!  Now  you  must 
set  to  work  at  your  linen  for  your  dowry,  for  nothing  must 
be  lacking  if  you  are  to  become  the  wife  of  our  neighbor 
the  mole!" 

Thumbelina  had  to  spin  all  day  long,  and  every  evening 
the  mole  visited  her  and  told  her  that  when-  the  summer  was 
over  the  sun  would  not  shine  so  hot;  now  it  was  burning 


the  earth  as  hard  as  stone.  Yes,  when  the  summer  had 
passed  they  would  keep  the  wedding. 

But  she  was  not  at  all  pleased  about  it,  for  she  did  not  like 
the  stupid  mole.  Every  morning  when  the  sun  was  rising 
and  every  evening  when  it  was  setting  she  would  steal  out 
of  the  house  door,  and  when  the  breeze  parted  the  ears  of 
corn  so  that  she  could  see  the  blue  sky  through  them,  she 
thought  how  bright  and  beautiful  it  must  be  outside,  and 
longed  to  see  her  dear  swallow  again.  But  he  never  came; 
no  doubt  he  had  flown  away  far  into  the  great  greenwood. 

By  the  autumn  Thumbelina  had  finished  the  dowry. 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  305 

"  In  four  weeks  you  will  be  married ! "  said  the  field- 
mouse.  "  Don't  be  obstinate  or  I  shall  bite  you  with  my 
sharp  white  teeth!  You  will  get  a  fine  husband!  The 
king  himself  has  not  such  a  velvet  coat.  His  storeroom 
and  cellar  are  full,  and  you  should  be  thankful  for  that." 

Well,  the  wedding-day  arrived.  The  mole  had  come  to 
fetch  Thumbelina  to  live  him  with  deep  down  under  the 
ground,  never  to  come  out  into  the  warm  sun  again,  for  that 
was  what  he  didn't  like.  The  poor  little  girl  was  very  sad, 
for  now  she  must  say  good-by  to  the  beautiful  sun. 

"  Farewell,  bright  sun ! "  she  cried,  stretching  out  her 
arms  toward  it  and  taking  another  step  outside  the  house, 
for  now  the  corn  had  been  reaped  and  only  the  dry  stubble 
was  left  standing.  "  Farewell !  farewell !  "  she  said,  and  put 
her  arms  round  a  little  red  flower  that  grew  there.  "Give 
my  love  to  the  dear  swallow  when  you  see  him !" 

"  Tweet !  tweet ! "  sounded  in  her  ear  all  at  once.  She 
looked  up.  There  was  the  swallow  flying  past!  As  soon 
as  he  saw  Thumbelina  he  was  very  glad.  She  told  him 
how  unwilling  she  was  to  marry  the  ugly  mole,  as  then  she 
had  to  live  underground  where  the  sun  never  shone,  and 
she  could  not  help  bursting  into  tears. 

"  The  cold  winter  is  coming  now,"  said  the  swallow.  "  I 
must  fly  away  to  warmer  lands.  Will  you  come  with  me? 
You  can  sit  on  my  back,  and  we  will  fly  far  away  from 
the  ugly  mole  and  his  dark  house,  over  the  mountains  to 
the  warm  countries  where  the  sun  shines  more  brightly 
than  here,  where  it  is  always  summer  and  there  are  always 
beautiful  flowers.  Do  come  with  me,  dear  little  Thumbe- 
lina, who  saved  my  life  when  I  lay  frozen  in  the  dark 
tunnel !  " 

"  Yes,  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Thumbelina,  and  got  on 
the  swallow's  back,  with  her  feet  on  one  of  his  outstretched 
wings.  Up  he  flew  into  the  air,  over  woods  and  seas,  over 
the  great  mountains  where  the  snow  is  always  lying.  And 
if  she  was  cold  she  crept  under  his  warm  feathers,  only 
keeping  her  little  head  out  to  admire  all  the  beautiful  things 
in  the  world  beneath.  At  last  they  came  to  warm  lands. 
There  the  sun  was  brighter,  the  sky  seemed  twice  as  high 
and  in  the  hedges  hung  the  finest  green  and  purple  grapes; 
in  the  woods  grew  oranges  and  lemons;  the  air  was  scented 


306 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


with  myrtle  and  mint,  and  on  the  roads  were  pretty  little 
children  running  about  and  playing  with  great  gorgeous 
butterflies.  But  the  swallow  flew  on  further,  and  it  became 
more  and  more  beautiful.  Under  the  most  splendid  green 
trees  beside  a  blue  lake  stood  a  glittering  white  marble 


castle.  Vines  hung  about  the  high  pillars;  there  were  many 
swallows'  nests,  and  in  one  of  these  lived  the  swallow  who 
was  carrying  Thumbelina. 

"  Here  is  my  house !  "  said  he.  "  But  it  won't  do  for  you 
to  live  with  me;  I  am  not  tidy  enough  to  please  you.  Find 
a  home  for  yourself  in  one  of  the  lovely  flowers  that  grow 
down  there.  Now  I  will  set  you  down,  and  you  can  do 
whatever  you  like." 


THE    YELLOW    FAIKY   BOOK.  307 

"  That  will  be  splendid ! "  said  she,  clapping  her  little 
hands. 

There  lay  a  great  white  marble  column  which  had  fallen 
to  the  ground  and  broken  into  three  pieces,  but  between 
these  grew  the  most  beautiful  white  flowers.  The  swallow 
flew  down  with  Thumbelina  and  set  her  upon  one  of  the 
broad  leaves.  But  there,  to  her  astonishment,  she  found  a 
tiny  little  man  sitting  in  the  middle  of  the  flower,  as  white 
and  transparent  as  if  he  were  made  of  glass.  He  had  the 
prettiest  golden  crown  on  his  head  and  the  most  beautiful 
wings  on  his  shoulders;  he  himself  was  no  bigger  than 
Thumbelina.  He  was  the  spirit  of  the  flower.  In  each 
blossom  there  dwelt  a  tiny  man  or  woman;  but  this  one  was 
the  king  over  the  others. 

"  How  handsome  he  is ! "  whispered  Thumbelina  to  the 
gwallow. 

The  little  prince  was  very  much  frightened  at  the 
swallow,  for  in  comparison  with  one  so  tiny  as  himself  he 
seemed  a  giant.  But  when  he  saw  Thumbelina  he  was 
delighted,  for  she  was  the  most  beautiful  girl  he  had  ever 
seen.  So  he  took  his  golden  crown  from  off  his  head  and 
put  it^on  hers,  asking  her  her  name  and  if  she  would  be 
his  wife,  and  then  she  would  be  queen  of  all  the  flowers. 
Yes!  he  was  a  different  kind  of  husband  to  the  son  of  the 
toad  and  the  mole  with  the  black-velvet  coat.  So  she  said 
"  Yes  "  to  the  noble  prince.  And  out  of  each  flower  came 
a  lady  and  gentleman,  each  so  tiny  and  pretty  that  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  see  them.  Each  brought  Thumbelina  a  present, 
but  the  best  of  all  was  a  beautiful  pair  of  wings  which  were 
fastened  on  to  her  back,  and  now  she  too  could  fly  from 
flower  to  flower.  They  all  wished  her  joy,  and  the  swallow 
sat  above  in  his  nest  and  sung  the  wedding-march,  and 
that  he  did  as  well  as  he  could;  but  he  was  sad,  because  he 
was  very  fond  of  Thumbelina  and  did  not  want  to  be  sepa- 
rated from  her. 

"  You  shall  not  be  called  Thumbelina ! "  said  the  spirit 
of  the  flower  to  her.  "  That  is  an  ugly  name,  and  you  are 
much  too  pretty  for  that.  We  will  call  you  May  Blossom." 

"  Farewell !  farewell ! "  said  the  little  swallow  with  a 
heavy  heart,  and  flew  away  to  further  lands,  far,  far  away, 
right  back  to  Denmark.  There  he  had  a  little  nest  above  a 


308         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

window,  where  his  wife  lived,  who  can  tell  fairy  stories. 
"  Tweet !  tweet ! "  he  sang  to  her.  And  that  is  the  way  he 
learned  the  whole  story. 


THE   NIGHTINGALE. 

In  China,  as  I  dare  say  you  know,  the  emperor  is  a 
Chinaman  and  all  his  courtiers  are  also  Chinamen.  The 
story  I  am  going  to  tell  you  happened  many  years  ago, 
but  it  is  worth  while  for  you  to  listen  to  it  before  it  is 
forgotten. 

The  emperor's  palace  was  the  most  splendid  in  the  world, 
all  made  of  priceless  porcelain,  but  so  brittle  and  delicate 
that  you  had  to  take  great  care  how  you  touched  it.  In 
the  garden  were  the  most  beautiful  flowers,  and  on  the 
loveliest  of  them  were  tied  silver  bells  which  tinkled  so 
that,  if  you  passed,  you  could  not  help  looking  at  the 
flowers.  Everything  in  the  emperor's  garden  was  admi- 
rably arranged  with  a  view  to  effect;  and  the  garden  was  so 
large  that  even  the  gardener  himself  did  not  know  where 
it  ended.  If  you  ever  got  beyond  it  you  came  to  a  stately 
forest  with  great  trees  and  deep  lakes  in  it.  The  forest 
sloped  down  to  the  sea,  which  was  a  clear  blue.  Large 
ships  could  sail  under  the  boughs  of  the  trees,  and  in  these 
trees  there  lived  a  nightingale.  She  sang  so  beautifully 
that  even  the  poor  fisherman  who  had  so  much  to  do  stood 
and  listened  when  he  came  at  night  to  cast  his  nets.  "  How 
beautiful  it  is ! "  he  said ;  but  he  had  to  attend  to  his  work, 
and  forgot  about  the  bird.  But  when  she  sang  the  next 
night,  and  the  fisherman  came  there  again,  he  said  the  same 
thing :  "  How  beautiful  it  is !  " 

From  all  the  countries  round  came  travelers  to  the  em- 
peror's town,  who  were  astonished  at  the  palace  and  the 
garden.  But  when  they  heard  the  nightingale  they  all  said: 
"  This  is  the  finest  thing,  after  all !  " 

The  travelers  told  all  about  it  when  they  went  home, 
and  learned  scholars  wrote  many  books  upon  the  town,  the 
palace,  and  the  garden.  But  they  did  not  forget  the  night- 
ingale; she  was  praised  the  most,  and  all  the  poets  com- 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.          309 

posed  splendid  verses  on  the  nightingale  in  the  forest  by 
the  deep  sea. 

The  books  were  circulated  throughout  the  world,  and  some 
of  them  reached  the  emperor.  He  sat  in  his  golden  chair 
and  read  and  read.  He  nodded  his  head  every  moment, 
for  he  liked  reading  the  brilliant  accounts  of  the  town,  the 
palace,  and  the  garden.  "  But  the  nightingale  is  better  than 
all,"  he  saw  it  written. 

"What  is  that?"  said  the  emperor.  "I  don't  know  any- 
thing about  the  nightingale!  Is  there  such  a  bird  in  my 
empire  and  so  near  as  in  my  garden?  I  have  never  heard 
it !  Fancy  reading  for  the  first  time  about  it  in  a  book !  " 

And  he  called  his  first  lord  to  him.  He  was  so  proud 
that  if  anyone  of  lower  rank  than  his  own  ventured  to 
speak  to  him  or  ask  him  anything,  he  would  say  nothing 
but  "  P !  "  and  that  does  not  mean  anything. 

"  Here  is  a  most  remarkable  bird  which  is  called  a  night- 
ingale !  "  said  the  emperor.  "  They  say  it  is  the  most  glo- 
rious thing  in  my  kingdom.  Why  has  no  one  ever  said 
anything  to  me  about  it  ? " 

"  I  have  never  before  heard  it  mentioned !  "  said  the  first 
lord.  "  I  will  look  for  it  and  find  it  1 " 

But  where  was  it  to  be  found?  The  first  lord  ran  up 
and  down  stairs,  through  the  halls  and  corridors;  but  none 
of  those  he  met  had  ever  heard  of  the  nightingale.  And 
the  first  lord  ran  again  to  the  emperor  and  told  him  that 
it  must  be  an  invention  on  the  part  of  those  who  had  written 
the  books. 

"Your  imperial  majesty  cannot  really  believe  all  that  is 
written !  There  are  some  inventions  called  the  black  art ! " 

"  But  the  book  in  which  I  read  this,"  said  the  emperor, 
"  is  sent  me  by  his  great  majesty  the  Emperor  of  Japan ; 
so  it  cannot  be  untrue,  and  I  will  hear  the  nightingale! 
She  must  be  here  this  evening!  She  has  my  gracious  per- 
mission to  appear,  and  if  she  does  not  the  whole  court 
shall  be  trampled  under  foot  after  supper ! " 

"  Tsing  pe !  "  said  the  first  lord ;  and  he  ran  up  and  down 
stairs,  through  the  halls  and  corridors,  and  half  the  court 
ran  with  him,  for  they  did  not  want  to  be  trampled  under 
foot.  Everyone  was  asking  after  the  wonderful  nightin- 
gale which  all  the  world  knew  of  except  those  at  court. 


310 


THE  YELLOW  FAIKY  BOOK. 


At  last  they  met  a  poor  little  girl  in  the  kitchen  who 
said :  "  Oh !  I  know  the  nightingale  well.  How  she  sings ! 
I  have  permission  to  carry  the  scraps  over  from  the  court 
meals  to  my  poor  sick  mother,  and  when  I  am  going  home 
at  night,  tired  and  weary,  and  rest  for  a  little  in  the  wood, 


then  I  hear  the  nightingale  singing!  It  brings  tears  to  my 
eyes,  and  I  feel  as  if  my  mother  were  kissing  me !  " 

"  Little  kitchen-maid !  "  said  the  first  lord,  "  I  will  give 
you  a  place  in  the  kitchen,  and  you  shall  have  leave  to  see 
the  emperor  at  dinner  if  you  can  lead  us  to  the  nightingale, 
for  she  is  invited  to  come  to  court  this  evening." 

And  so  they  all  went  into  the  wood  where  the  nightingale 
was  wont  to  sing,  and  half  the  court  went  too. 


THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  311 

When  they  were  on  the  way  there  they  heard  a  cow 
mooing. 

"  Oh !  "  said  the  .courtiers,  "  now  we  have  found  her ! 
What  a  wonderful  power  for  such  a  small  beast  to  have !  I 
am  sure  we  have  heard  her  before !  " 

"  ISTo ;  that  is  a  cow  mooing !  "  said  the  little  kitchen-maid. 
"  We  are  still  a  long  way  off !  " 

TWn  the  frogs  began  to  croak  in  the  marsh. 

"Splendid.1"  o&za  /he  c/nmese  chaplain,  "Now  we  hear 
her.  It  sounds  like  a  little  church-bell !  " 

"  No,  no ;  those  are  frogs ! "  said  the  little  kitchen-maid. 
"  But  I  think  we  shall  soon  hear  her  now !  " 

Then  the  nightingale  began  to  sing. 

"  There  she  is !  "  cried  the  little  girl.  "  Listen !  She  is 
sitting  there."  And  she  pointed  to  a  little  dark-gray  bird 
up  in  the  branches. 

"  Is  it  possible !  "  said  the  first  lord.  "  I  should  never  have 
thought  it !  How  ordinary  she  looks !  She  must  surely  have 
lost  her  feathers  because  she  sees  so  many  distinguished  men 
round  her !  " 

"  Little  nightingale,"  called  out  the  little  kitchen-maid, 
"  our  gracious  emperor  wants  you  to  sing  before  him !  " 

"  With  the  greatest  of  pleasure ! "  said  the  nightingale ; 
and  she  sang  so  gloriously  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  listen. 

"  It  sounds  like  glass  bells,"  said  the  first  lord.  "  And 
look  how  her  little  throat  works!  It  is  wonderful  that  we 
have  never  heard  her  before!  She  will  be  a  great  success 
at  court." 

"  Shall  I  sing  once  more  for  the  emperor  ? "  asked  the 
nightingale,  thinking  that  the  emperor  was  there. 

"  My  esteemed  little  nightingale,"  said  the  first  lord,  "  I 
have  the  great  pleasure  to  invite  you  to  court  this  evening, 
where  his  gracious  imperial  highness  will  be  enchanted  with 
your  charming  song !  " 

"It  sounds  best  in  the  greenwood,"  said  the  nightingale; 
but  still  she  came  gladly  when  she  heard  that  the  emperor 
wished  it.  At  the  palace  everything  was  splendidly  pre- 
pared. The  porcelain  walls  and  floors  glittered  in  the  light 
of  many  thousand  gold  lamps;  the  most  gorgeous  flowers 
which  tinkled  out  well  were  placed  in  the  corridors.  There 
was  such  a  hurrying  and  draught  tha+  all  the  bells  jingled 


312 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


so  much  that  one  could  not  hear  one's  self  speak.  In  the 
center  of  the  great  hall  where  the  emperor  sat  was  a  golden 
perch  on  which  the  nightingale  sat.  The  whole  court  was 
there,  and  the  little  kitchen-maid  was  allowed  to  stand  be- 
hind the  door  now  that  she  was  a  court  cook.  Everyone 
was  dressed  in  his  best,  and  everyone  was  looking  toward 
the  little  gray  bird,  to  whom  the  emperor  nodded. 

The  nightingale  sang  so  gloriously  that  the  tears  came 
into  the  emperor's  eyes  and  ran  down  his  cheeks.  Then 
the  nightingale  sang  even  more  beautifully;  it  went 


The  Present  from  the  Emperor  of  Japan. 

straight  to  all  hearts.  The  emperor  was  so  delighted  that 
he  said  she  should  bear  his  gold  slipper  round  her  neck. 
But  the  nightingale  thanked  him  and  said  she  had  had 
enough  reward  already.  "I  have  seen  tears  in  the 
emperor's  eyes — that  is  a  great  reward.  An  emperor's 
tears  have  such  power ! "  Then  she  sang  again  with  her 
gloriously  sweet  voice. 

"  That  is  the  most  charming  coquetry  I  have  ever  seen ! " 
said  all  the  ladies  round.     And  they  all  took  to  holding 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         313 

water  in  their  mouths  that  they  might  gurgle  whenever 
anyone  spoke  to  them.  Then  they  thought  themselves  night- 
ingales. Yes,  the  lackeys  and  chambermaids  announced 
that  they  were  pleased;  which  means  a  great  deal,  for  they 
are  the  most  difficult  people  of  all  to  satisfy.  In  short,  the 
nightingale  was  a  real  success. 

She  had  to  stay  at  court  now;  she  had  her  own  cage 
and  permission  to  walk  out  twice  in  the  day  and  once  at 
night. 

She  was  given  twelve  servants,  who  each  held  a  silken 
string  which  was  fastened  round  her  leg.  There  was  little 
pleasure  in  flying  about  like  this. 

The  whole  town  was  talking  about  the  wonderful  bird, 
and  when  two  people  met  each  other  one  would  say 
"  Nightin  "  and  the  other  "  Gale,"  and  then  they  would  both 
sigh  and  understand  one  another.  Yes,  and  eleven  grocers' 
children  were  called  after  her,  but  not  one  of  them  could 
sing  a  note. 

One  day  the  emperor  received  a  large  parcel  on  which  was 
written  "The  Nightingale." 

"  Here  is  another  new  book,  about  our  famous  jbird ! "  said 
the  emperor. 

But  it  was  not  a  book,  but  a  little  mechanical  toy  which 
lay  in  a  box — an  artificial  nightingale  which  was  like  the 
real  one,  only  that  it  was  set  all  over  with  diamonds,  ru- 
bies, and  sapphires.  When  it  was  wound  up  it  could  sing  the 
piece  the  real  bird  sang,  and  moved  its  tail  up  and  down 
and  glittered  with  silver  and  gold.  Round  its  neck  was  a 
little  collar  on  which  was  written,  "  The  nightingale  of  the 
Emperor  of  Japan  is  nothing  compared  to  that  of  the  Em- 
peror of  China." 

"  This  is  magnificent ! "  they  all  said,  and  the  man  who 
had  brought  the  clockwork  bird  received  on  the  spot  the 
title  of  Bringer  of  the  Imperial  First  Nightingale. 

"Now  they  must  sing  together.  What  a  duet  we  shall 
have!" 

And  so  they  sang  together,  but  their  voices  did  not  blend, 
for  the  real  nightingale  sang  in  her  way  and  the  clockwork 
bird  sang  waltzes. 

"  It  is  not  its  fault ! "  said  the  bandmaster.  "  It  keeps 
very  good  time  and  is  quite  after  my  style ! " 


314         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

Then  the  artificial  bird  had  to  sing  alone.  It  gave  just 
as  much  pleasure  as  the  real  one,  and  then  it  was  so  much 
prettier  to  look  at;  it  sparkled  like  bracelets  and  neck- 
laces. Thirty-three  times  it  sang  the  same  piece  without  be- 
ing tired.  People  would  like  to  have  heard  it  again,  but  the 
emperor  thought  that  the  living  nightingale  should  sing 
now — but  where  was  she !  No  one  had  noticed  that  she  had 
flown  out  of  the  open  window  away  to  her  greenwood. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ? "  said  the  emperor. 

And  all  the  court  scolded  and  said  that  the  nightingale 
was  very  ungrateful.  "  But  we  have  still  the  best  bird ! " 
they  said;  and  the  artificial  bird  had  to  sing  again,  and  that 
was  the  thirty-fourth  time  they  had  heard  the  same  piece. 
But  they  did  not  yet  know  it  by  heart;  it  was  much  too 
difficult.  And  the  bandmaster  praised  the  bird  tremendously ; 
yes,  he  assured  them  it  was  better  than  a  real  nightingale, 
not  only  because  of  its  beautiful  plumage  and  diamonds, 
but  inside  as  well.  "  For  see,  my  lords  and  ladies  and  your 
imperial  majesty,  with  the  real  nightingale  one  can  never 
tell  what  will  come  out,  but  all  is  known  about  the  artificial 
bird!  You  can  explain  it,  you  can  open  it  and  show  people 
where  the  waltzes  lie,  how  they  go,  and  how  one  follows  the 
other!" 

"  That's  just  what  we  think ! "  said  everyone ;  and  the 
bandmaster  received  permission  to  show  the  bird  to  the 
people  the  next  Sunday.  They  should  hear  it  sing,  com- 
manded the  emperor.  And  they  heard  it,  and  they  were 
as  pleased  as  if  they  had  been  intoxicated  with  tea,  after 
the  Chinese  fashion,  and  they  all  said  "  Oh ! "  and  held  up 
their  forefingers  and  nodded  time.  But  the  poor  fisher- 
man who  had  heard  the  real  nightingale  said :  "  This  one 
sings  well  enough,  the  tunes  glide  out;  but  there  is  some- 
thing wanting — I  don't  know  what !  " 

The  real  nightingale  was  banished  from  the  kingdom. 

The  artificial  bird  was  put  on  silken  cushions  by  the  em- 
peror's bed,  all  the  presents  which  it  received,  gold  and  pre- 
cious stones,  lay  round  it,  and  it  was  given  the  title  of  Im- 
perial Night-singer,  First  from  the  Left.  For  the  emperor 
counted  that  side  as  the  more  distinguished,  being  the  side 
on  which  the  heart  is ;  the  emperor's  heart  is  also  on  the  left. 

And  the  bandmaster  wrote  a  work  of  twenty-five  volumes 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         315 

about  the  artificial  bird.  It  was  so  learned,  long,  and  so 
full  of  the  hardest  Chinese  words  that  everyone  said  they 
had  read  it  and  understood  it;  for  once  they  had  been  very 
stupid  about  a  book,  and  had  been  trampled  under  foot 
in  consequence.  So  a  whole  year  passed.  The  emperor,  the 
court,  and  all  the  Chinese  knew  every  note  of  the  artificial 
bird's  song  by  heart.  But  they  liked  it  all  the  better  for  this ; 
they  could  even  sing  with  it,  and  they  did.  The  street-boys 
sang  "  Tra-la-la-la-la,"  and  the  emperor  sang  too  sometimes. 
It  was  indeed  delightful. 

But  one  evening,  when  the  artificial  bird  was  singing  its 
best  and  the  emperor  lay  in  bed  listening  to  it,  something 
in  the  bird  snapped!  Whir-r-r!  all  the  wheels  ran  down, 
and  then  the  music  ceased.  The  emperor  sprang  up  and 
had  his  physician  summoned,  but  what  could  he  do!  Then 
the  clockmaker  came,  and  after  a  great  deal  of  talking  and 
examining  he  put  the  bird  somewhat  in  order,  but  he  said 
that  it  must  be  very  seldom  used,  as  the  works  were  nearly 
worn  out  and  it  was  impossible  to  put  in  new  ones.  Here 
was  a  calamity!  Only  once  a  year  was  the  artificial  bird 
allowed  to  sing,  and  even  that  was  almost  too  much  for  it. 
But  then  the  bandmaster  made  a  little  speech  full  of  hard 
words,  saying  that  it  was  just  as  good  as  before.  And  so,  of 
course,  it  was  just  as  good  as  before.  So  five  years  passed, 
and  then  a  great  sorrow  came  to  the  nation.  The  Chinese 
look  upon  the  emperor  as  everything,  and  now  he  was  ill 
and  not  likely  to  live,  it  was  said. 

Already  a  new  emperor  had  been  chosen,  and  the  people 
stood  outside  in  the  street  and  asked  the  first  lord  how 
the  old  emperor  was.  "  P ! "  said  he,  and  shook  his 
head. 

Cold  and  pale  lay  the  emperor  in  his  splendid  great  bed; 
the  whole  court  believed  him  dead,  and  one  after  the  other 
left  him  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  new  emperor.  Every- 
where in  the  halls  and  corridors  cloth  was  laid  down  so  that 
no  footstep  could  be  heard,  and  everything  was  still — very, 
very  still.  And  nothing  came  to  break  the  silence. 

The  emperor  longed  for  something  to  come  and  relieve 
the  monotony  of  this  deathlike  stillness.  If  only  someone 
would  speak  to  him!  If  only  someone  would  sing  to  him! 
Music  would  carry  his  thoughts  away  and  would  break  the 


316 


THE   YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK. 


spell  lying  on  him.  The  moon  was  streaming  in  at  the  open 
window;  but  that,  too,  was  silent,  quite  silent. 

"  Music !  music !  "  cried  the  emperor.  "  You  little  bright 
golden  bird,  sing!  do  sing!  I  gave  you  gold  and  jewels;  I 
have  hung  my  gold  slipper  round  your  neck  with  my  own 
hand — sing !  do  sing !  "  But  the  bird  was  silent.  There  was 
no  one  to  wind  it  up,  and  so  it  could  not  sing.  And  all  was 
silent,  so  terribly  silent! 

All  at  once  there  came  in  at  the  window  the  most  glorious 
burst  of  song.  It  was  the  little  living  nightingale,  who, 
sitting  outside  on  a  bough,  had  heard  the  need  of  her  em- 
peror and  had  come  to  sing  to  him  of  comfort  and  hope. 


The  True  Nightingale  Sings  to  the  Emperor. 

And  as  she  sang  the  blood  flowed  quicker  and  quicker  in  the 
emperor's  weak  limbs  and  life  began  to  return. 

"  Thank  you !  thank  you !  "  said  the  emperor.  "  You  di- 
vine little  bird !  I  know  you.  I  chased  you  from  my  king- 
dom, and  you  have  given  me  life  again !  How  can  I  reward 
you?" 

"  You  have  done  that  already ! "  said  the  nightingale. 
"I  brought  tears  to  your  eyes  the  first  time  I  sang.  I 
shall  never  forget  that.  They  are  jewels  that  rejoice  a 
singer's  heart.  But  now  sleep  and  get  strong  again.  I 
will  sing  you  a  lullaby."  And  the  emperor  fell  into  a  deep, 
calm  sleep  as  she  sang. 

The  sun  was  shining  through  the  window  when  he  awoke, 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK.  317 

strong  and  well.  None  of  his  servants  had  come  back  yet, 
for  they  thought  he  was  dead.  But  the  nightingale  sat  and 
sang  to  him. 

"  You  must  always  stay  with  me ! "  said  the  emperor. 
"You  shall  sing  whenever  you  like,  and  I  will  break  the 
artificial  bird  into  a  thousand  pieces." 

"Don't  do  that!"  said  the  Nightingale.  "He  did  his 
work  as  long  as  he  could.  Keep  him  as  you  have  done! 
I  cannot  build  my  nest  in  the  palace  and  live  here,  but 
let  me  come  whenever  I  like.  I  will  sit  in  the  evening  on 
the  bough  outside  the  window,  and  I  will  sing  you  some- 
thing that  will  make  you  feel  happy  and  grateful.  I  will 
sing  of  joy  and  sorrow;  I  will  sing  of  the  evil  and  the  good 
which  lie  hidden  from  you.  The  little  singing-bird  flies 
all  around,  to  the  poor  fisherman's  hut,  to  the  farmer's  cot- 
tage, to  all  those  who  are  far  away  from  you  and  your  court. 
I  love  your  heart  more  than  your  crown,  though  that  has 
about  it  a  brightness  as  of  something  holy.  Now  1  will 
sing  to  you  again ;  but  you  must  promise  me  one  thing " 

"  Anything !  "  said  the  emperor,  standing  up  in  his  im- 
perial robes,  which  he  had  himself  put  on,  and  fastening  on 
his  sword  richly  embossed  with  gold. 

"  One  thing  I  beg  of  you.  Don't  tell  anyone  that  you 
have  a  little  bird  who  tells  you  everything.  It  will  be  much 
better  not  to."  Then  the  nightingale  flew  away. 

The  servants  came  in  to  look  at  their  dead  emperor. 

The  emperor  said  "  Good-morning." 


HERMOD   AND   HADVOR.* 

Once  upon  a  time  there  were  a  king  and  a  queen  who 
had  an  only  daughter,  called  Hadvor,  who  was  fair  and 
beautiful,  and  being  an  only  child  was  heir  to  the  king- 
dom. The  king  and  queen  had  also  a  foster-son,  named 
Hermod,  who  was  just  about  the  same  age  as  Hadvor  and 
was  good-looking,  as  well  as  clever  at  most  things.  Her- 
mod and  Hadvor  often  played  together  while  they  were 
children,  and  liked  each  other  eo  much  that  while  they 

*From  the  Icelandic. 


318  THE    YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 

were  still  young  they  secretly  plighted  their  troth  to  each 
other. 

As  time  went  on  the  queen  fell  sick,  and,  suspecting 
that  it  was  her  last  illness,  sent  for  the  king  to  come  to  her. 
When  he  came  she  told  him  that  she  had  no  long  time 
to  live  and  therefore  wished  to  ask  one  thing  of  him,  which 
was  that,  if  he  married  another  wife,  he  should  promise 
to  take  no  other  one  than  the  Queen  of  Hetland  the  Good. 
The  king  gave  the  promise,  and  thereafter  the  queen  died. 

Time  went  past,  and  the  king,  growing  tired  of  living 
alone,  fitted  out  his  ship  and  sailed  out  to  sea.  As  he 
sailed  there  came  upon  him  so  thick  a  mist  that  he  alto- 
gether lost  his  bearings,  but  after  long  trouble  he  found 
land.  There  he  laid  his  ship  to  and  went  on  shore  all 
alone.  After  walking  for  some  time  he  came  to  a  forest, 
into  which  he  went  a  little  way  and  stopped.  Then  he 
heard  sweet  music  from  a  harp,  and  went  in  the  direction 
of  the  sound  until  he  came  to  a  clearing,  and  there  he 
saw  three  women,  one  of  whom  sat  on  a  golden  chair  and 
was  beautiful  and  grandly  dressed;  she  held  a  harp  in 
her  hands  and  was  very  sorrowful.  .  The  second  was  also 
finely  dressed,  but  younger  in  appearance,  and  also  sat 
on  a  chair,  but  it  was  not  so  grand  as  the  first  one's.  The 
third  stood  beside  them,  and  was  very  pretty  to  look  at; 
she  had  a  green  cloak  over  her  other  clothes,  and  it  was 
easy  to  see  that  she  was  maid  to  the  other  two. 

After  the  king  had  looked  at  them  for  a  little  he  went 
forward  and  saluted  them.  The  one  that  sat  on  the  golden 
chair  asked  him  who  he  was  and  where  he  was  going;  and 
he  told  her  all  the  story — how  he  was  king  and  had  lost 
his  queen,  and  was  now  on  his  way  to  Hetland  the  Good 
to  ask  the  queen  of  that  country  in  marriage.  She  an- 
swered that  fortune  had  contrived  this  wonderfully,  for 
pirates  had  plundered  Hetland  and  killed  the  king,  and 
she  had  fled  from  the  land  in  terror  and  had  come  hither 
after  great  trouble,  and  she  was  the  very  person  he  was 
looking  for,  and  the  others  were  her  daughter  and  maid. 
The  king  immediately  asked  her  hand;  she  gladly  re- 
ceived his  proposal  and  accepted  him  at  once.  Thereafter 
they  all  set  out  and  made  their  way  to  the  ship,  and  after 
that  nothing  is  told  of  their  voyage  until  the  king  reached 


THE   YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK. 


319 


his  own  country.  There  he  made  a  great  feast  and  cele- 
brated his  marriage  with  this  woman,  and  after  that  things 
are  quiet  for  a  time. 

Hermod  and  Hadvor  took  but  little  notice  of  the  queen 


and  her  daughter,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  Hadvor  and  the 
queen's  maid,  whose  name  was  Olof,  were  very  friendly,  and 
Olof  came  often  to  visit  Hadvor  in  her  castle.  Before  long 
the  king  went  out  to  war,  and  no  sooner  was  he  away  than  the 
queen  came  to  talk  with  Hermod,  and  said  that  she  wanted 


320        THE  YELLOW  FAI&Y  BOOK. 

him  to  marry  her  daughter.  Hennod  told  her  straight  and 
plain  that  he  would  not  do  so,  at  which  the  queen  grew  ter- 
ribly angry,  and  said  that  in  that  case  neither  should  he  have 
Hadvor,  for  she  would  now  lay  this  spell  on  him,  that  h<s 
should  go  to  a  desert  island  and  there  be  a  lion  by  day  and 
a  man  by  night.  He  should  also  think  always  of  Hadvor, 
which  would  cause  him  all  the  more  sorrow,  and  from  this 
spell  he  should  never  be  freed  until  Hadvor  burned  the  lion's 
skin,  and  that  would  not  happen  very  soon. 

As  soon  as  the  queen  had  finished  her  speech  Hermod 
replied  that  he  also  laid  a  spell  on  her,  and  that  was  that 
as  soon  as  he  was  freed  from  her  enchantments  she  should 
become  a  rat  and  her  daughter  a  mouse,  and  fight  with 
each  other  in  the  hall  until  he  killed  them  with  his  sword. 

After  this  Hermod  disappeared,  and  no  one  knew  what  had 
become  of  him ;  the  queen  caused  search  to  be  made  for  him, 
but  he  could  nowhere  be  found.  One  time,  when  Olof  was 
in  the  castle  beside  Hadvor,  she  asked  the  princess  if  she 
knew  where  Hermod  had  gone  to.  At  this  Hadvor  became 
very  sad  and  said  that  she  did  not. 

"  I  shall  tell  you,  then,"  said  Olof,  "  for  I  know  all  about 
it.  Hermod  has  disappeared  through  the  wicked  devices  of 
the  queen,  for  she  is  a  witch  and  so  is  her  daughter,  though 
they  have  put  on  these  beautiful  forms.  Because  Hermod 
would  not  fall  in  with  the  queen's  plans  and  many  her 
daughter  she  has  laid  a  spell  on  him,  to  go  on  an  island  and 
be  a  lion  by  day  and  a  man  by  night,  and  never  be  freed 
from  this  until  you  burn  the  lion's  skin.  Besides,"  said 
Olof,  "  she  has  looked  out  a  match  for  you.  She  has  a 
brother  in  the  underworld,  a  three-headed  giant,  whom  she 
means  to  turn  into  a  beautiful  prince  and  get  him  married 
to  you.  This  is  no  new  thing  for  the  queen.  She  took 
me  away  from  my  parents'  house  and  compelled  me  to  serve 
her,  but  she  has  never  done  me  any  harm,  for  the  green 
cloak  I  wear  protects  me  against  all  mischief." 

Hadvor  now  became  still  sadder  than  before  at  the  thought 
of  the  marriage  destined  for  her,  and  entreated  Olof  to  think 
of  some  plan  to  save  her. 

"I  think,"  said  Olof,  "that  your  wooer  will  come  up 
through  the  floor  of  the  castle  to  you,  and  so  you  must  be 
prepared  when  you  hear  the  noise  of  his  coming  and  the 


THE   YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK.  321 

floor  begins  to  open,  and  have  at  hand  blazing  pitch  and  pour 
plenty  of  it  into  the  opening.  That  will  prove  too  much  for 
him." 

About  this  time  the  king  came  home  from  his  expedition, 
and  thought  it  a  great  blow  that  no  one  knew  what  had  be- 
come of  Hermod;  but  the  queen  consoled  him  as  best  she 
could,  and  after  a  time  the  king  thought  less  about  his  dis- 
appearance. 

Hadvor  remained  in  her  castle  and  had  made  preparations 
to  receive  her  wooer  when  he  came.  One  night,  not  long 
after,  a  loud  noise  and  rumbling  was  heard  under  the  castle. 
Hadvor  at  once  guessed  what  it  was  and  told  her  maids  to 
be  ready  to  help  her.  The  noise  and  thundering  grew 
louder  and  louder,  until  the  floor  began  to  open,  whereupon 
Hadvor  made  them  take  the  caldron  of  pitch  and  pour  plenty 
of  it  into  the  opening.  With  that  the  noises  grew  fainter 
and  fainter,  till  at  last  they  ceased  altogether. 

Next  morning  the  queen  rose  early  and  went  out  to  the 
palace  gate,  and  there  she  found  her  brother  the  giant  lying 
dead.  She  went  up  to  him,  and  said :  "  I  pronounce  this 
spell,  that  you  become  a  beautiful  prince,  and  that  Had- 
vor shall  be  unable  to  say  anything  against  the  charges  that 
I  shall  bring  against  her." 

The  body  of  the  dead  giant  now  became  that  of  a  beauti- 
ful prince,  and  the  queen  went  in  again. 

"  I  don't  think,"  ~said  she  to  the  king,  "  that  your  daugh- 
ter is  as  good  as  she  is  said  to  be.  My  brother  came  and 
asked  her  hand,  and  she  has  had  him  put  to  death.  I  have 
just  found  his  dead  body  lying  at  the  palace  gate." 

The  king  went  along  with  the  queen  to  see  the  body  and 
thought  it  all  very  strange;  so  beautiful  a  youth,  he  said, 
would  have  been  a  worthy  match  for  Hadvor,  and  he  would  I 
readily  have  agreed  to  their  marriage.  The  queen  asked 
leave  to  decide  what  Hadvor's  punishment  should  be,  which 
the  king  was  very  willing  to  allow,  so  as  to  escape  from 
punishing  his  own  daughter.  The  queen's  decision  was 
that  the  king  should  make  a  big  grave-mound  for  her  brother 
and  put  Hadvor  into  it  beside  him. 

Olof  knew  all  the  plans  of  the  queen  and  went  to  tell  the 
princess  what  had  been  done,  whereupon  Hadvor  earnestly 
entreated  her  to  tell  her  what  to  do. 


322  THE   YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK. 

"First  and  foremost,"  said  Olof,  "you  must  get  a  wide 
cloak  to  wear  over  your  other  clothes  when  you  are  put  into 
the  mound.  The  giant's  ghost  will  walk  after  you  are  both 
left  together  in  there,  and  he  will  have  two  dogs  along  with 
him.  He  will  ask  you  to  cut  pieces  out  of  his  legs  to  give 
to  the  dogs,  but  that  you  must  not  promise  to  do  unless  he 
tells  you  where  Hermod  has  gone  to  and  tells  you  how  to 
find  him.  He  will  then  let  you  stand  on  his  shoulders,  so 
as  to  get  out  of  the  mound;  but  he  means  to  cheat  you,  all 
the  same;  and  will  catch  you  by  the  cloak  to  pull  you  back 
again;  but  you  must  take  care  to  have  the  cloak  loose  on 
your  shoulders,  so  that  he  will  only  get  hold  of  that." 

The  mound  was  all  ready  now  and  the  giant  laid  in  it, 
and  into  it  Hadvor  also  had  to  go  without  being  allowed  to 
make  any  defense.  After  they  were  both  left  there  every- 
thing happened  just  as  Olof  had  said.  The  prince  became 
a  giant  again  and  asked  Hadvor  to  cut  the  pieces  out  of  his 
legs  for  the  dogs;  but  she  refused  until  he  told  her  that 
Hermod  was  in  a  desert  island,  which  she  could  not  reach 
unless  she  took  the  skin  off  the  soles  of  his  feet  and  made 
shoes  out  of  that ;  with  these  shoes  she  could  travel  both  on 
land  and  sea.  This  Hadvor  now  did,  and  the  giant  then 
let  her  get  up  on  his  shoulders  to  get  out  of  the  mound. 
As  she  sprang  out  he  caught  hold  of  her  cloak,  but  she  had 
taken  care  to  let  it  lie  loose  on  her  shoulders,  and  so  es- 
caped. 

She  now  made  her  way  down  to  the  sea,  to  where  she  knew 
there  was  the  shortest  distance  over  to  the  island  in  which 
Hermod  was.  This  strait  was  easily  crossed,  for  the  shoes 
kept  her  up.  On  reaching  the  island  she  found  a  sandy 
beach  all  along  by  the  sea  and  high  cliffs  above.  Nor  could 
she  see  any  way  to  get  up  these,  and  so,  being  both  sad  at 
heart  and  tired  with  the  long  journey,  she  lay  down  and 
fell  asleep.  As  she  slept  she  dreamed  that  a  tall  woman 
came  to  her  and  said: 

"  I  know  that  you  are  Princess  Hadvor  and  are  searching 
for  Hermod.  He  is  on  this  island,  but  it  will  be  hard  for 
you  to  get  to  him  if  you  have  no  one  to  help  you,  for  you 
camnot  climb  the  cliffs  by  your  own  strength.  I  have  there- 
fore let  down  a  rope,  by  which  you  will  be  able  to  climb 
up;  and  as  the  island  is  so  large  that  you  might  not  find 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


323 


Hermod's  dwelling-place  so  easily,  I  lay  down  this  clew 
beside  you.  You  need  only  hold  the  end  of  the  thread,  and 
the  clew  will  run  on  before  and  show  you  the  way.  I  also 


___.  __  burns, 
If  he.  Lions  Ski  n.s 

lay  this  belt  beside  you,  to  put  on  when  you  awaken;  it  will 
keep  you  from  growing  faint  with  hunger." 

The  woman  now  disappeared,  and  Hadvor  woke  and  saw 
that  all  her  dream  had  been  true.  The  rope  hung  down 
from  the  cliff  and  the  clew  and  belt  lay  beside  her.  The 
belt  she  put  on,  the  rope  enabled  her  to  climb  up  the  cliff, 


324          THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

and  the  clew  led  her  on  till  she  came  to  the  mouth  of  a  cave 
which  was  not  very  big.  She  went  into  the  cave  and  saw 
there  a  low  couch,  under  which  she  crept  and  lay  down. 

When  evening  came  she  heard  the  noise  of  footsteps  out- 
side, and  became  aware  that  the  lion  had  come  to  the  mouth 
of  the  cave  and  shook  itself  there,  after  which  she  heard  a 
man  coming  toward  the  couch.  She  was  sure  this  was 
Hermod,  because  she  heard  him  speaking  to  himself  about 
his  own  condition  and  calling  to  mind  Hadvor  and  other 
things  in  the  old  days.  Hadvor  made  no  sign,  but  waited 
till  he  had  fallen  asleep,  and  then  creptf  out  and  burned  the 
lion's  skin,  which  he  had  left  outside.  Then  she  went  back 
into  the  cave  and  wakened  Hermod,  and  they  had  a  most 
joyful  meeting. 

In  the  morning  they  talked  over  their  plans,  and  were 
most  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  get  out  of  the  island.  Had- 
vor told  Hermod  her  dream,  and  said  she  suspected  there 
was  someone  in  the  island  who  would  be  able  to  help  them. 
Hermod  said  he  knew  of  a  witch  there  who  was  very  ready 
to  help  anyone,  and  that  the  only  plan  was  to  go  to  her. 
So  they  went  to  the  witch's  cave  and  found  her  there  with 
her  fifteen  young  sons,  and  asked  her  to  help  them  to  get  to 
the  mainland. 

"  There  are  other  things  easier  than  that,"  said  she,  "  for 
the  giant  that  was  buried  will  be  waiting  for  you  and  will 
attack  you  on  the  way,  as  he  has  turned  himself  into  a  big 
whale.  I  shall  lend  you  a  boat,  however,  and  if  you  meet 
the  whale  and  think  your  lives  are  in  danger,  then  you  can 
name  me  by  name." 

They  thanked  her  greatly  for  her  help  and  advice  and  set 
out  from  the  island,  but  on  the  way  they  saw  a  huge  fish 
coming  toward  them  with  great  splashing  and  dashing  of 
waves.  They  were  sure  of  what  it  was,  and  thought  they 
had  as  good  reason  as  ever  they  would  have  to  call  on  the 
witch,  and  so  they  did.  The  next  minute  they  saw  coming 
after  them  another  huge  whale,  followed  by  fifteen  smaller 
ones.  All  of  these  swam  past  the  boat  and  went  on  to  meet 
the  whale.  There  was  a  fierce  battle  then,  and  the  sea 
became  so  stormy  that  it  was  not  very  easy  to  keep  the  boat 
from  being  filled  by  the  waves.  After  this  fight  had  gone 
on  for  some  time  they  saw  that  the  sea  was  dyed  with  blood; 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.         325 

the  big  whale  and  the  fifteen  smaller  ones  disappeared,  and 
they  got  to  the  land  safe  and  sound. 

Now  the  story  goes  back  to  the  king's  hall,  where  strange 
things  had  happened  in  the  meantime.  The  queen  and  her 
daughter  had  disappeared,  but  a  rat  and  a  mouse  were  al- 
ways fighting  with  each  other  there.  Ever  so  many  people  had 
tried  to  drive  them  away,  but  no  one  could  manage  it. 
Thus  some  time  went  on,  while  the  king  was  almost  beside 
himself  with  sorrow  and  care  for  the  loss  of  his  queen,  and 
because  these  monsters  destroyed  all  mirth  in  the  hall. 

One  evening,  while  they  all  sat  dull  and  downhearted,  in 
came  Hermod  with  a  sword  by  his  side  and  saluted  the  king, 
who  received  him  with  the  greatest  joy,  as  if  he  had  come 
back  from  the  dead.  Before  Hermod  sat  down  he  went  to 
where  the  rat  and  the  mouse  were  fighting  and  cut  them  in 
two  with  his  sword.  All  were  astonished  then  by  seeing 
two  witches  lying  dead  on  the  floor  of  the  hall. 

Hermod  now  told  the  whole  story  to  the  king,  who  was 
very  glad  to  be  rid  of  such  vile  creatures.  Next  he  asked 
for  the  hand  of  Hadvor,  which  the  king  readily  gave  him, 
and,  being  now  an  old  man,  gave  the  kingdom  to  him  as 
well ;  and  so  Hermod  became  king. 

Olof  married  a  good-looking  nobleman,  and  that  is  the 
end  of  the  story. 


THE  STEADFAST  TIN  SOLDIER 

There  were  once  upon  a  time  twenty-five  tin  soldiers — 
all  brothers,  as  they  were  made  out  of  the  same  old  tin 
spoon.  Their  uniform  was  red  and  blue,  and  they  shoul- 
dered their  guns  and  looked  straight  in  front  of  them.  The 
first  words  that  they  heard  in  this  world,  when  the  lid  of 
the  box  in  which  they  lay  was  taken  off,  were :  "  Hurrah ! 
tin  soldiers!  "  This  was  exclaimed  by  a  little  boy,  clapping 
his  hands;  they  had  been  given  to  him  because  it  was  his 
birthday,  and  now  he  began  setting  them  out  on  the  table. 
Each  soldier  was  exactly  like  the  other  in  shape,  except  just 
one,  who  had  been  made  last  when  the  tin  had  run  short; 
but  there  he  stood  as  firmly  on  his  one  leg  as  the  others  did 
on  two,  and  he  is  the  one  that  became  famous. 


326 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


There  were  many  other  playthings  on  the  table  on  which 
they  were  being  set  out,  but  the  nicest  of  all  was  a  pretty 
little  castle  made  of  cardboard,  with  windows  through  which 
you  could  see  into  the  rooms.  In  front  of  the  castle  stood 
some  little  trees  surrounding  a  tiny  mirror  which  looked 
like  a  lake.  Wax  swans  were  floating  about  and  reflecting 
themselves  in  it.  That  was  all  very  pretty;  but  the  most 
beautiful  thing  was  a  little  lady  who  stood  in  the  open  door- 
way. She  was  cut  out  of  paper,  but  she  had  on  a  dress  of 
the  finest  muslin,  with  a  scarf  of  narrow  blue  ribbon  round 
her  shoulders,  fastened  in  the  middle  with  a  glittering  rose 


INTENDED  FOR.  THE  LIKES 


made  of  gold  paper,  which  was  as  large  as  her  head.  The 
little  lady  was  stretching  out  both  her  arms,  for  she  was  a 
dancer,  and  was  lifting  up  one  leg  so  high  in  the  air  that  the 
tin  soldier  couldn't  find  it  anywhere,  and  thought  that  she 
too  had  only  one  leg. 

"That's  the  wife  for  me!"  he  thought;  "but  she  is  so 
grand  and  lives  in  a  castle,  while  I  have  only  a  box  with 
twenty-four  others.  This  is  no  place  for  her!  But  I  must 
make  her  acquaintance." 


THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK.         327 

Then  he  stretched  himself  out  behind  a  snuff-box  that 
lay  on  the  table;  from  whence  he  could  watch  the  dainty 
little  lady,  who  continued  to  stand  on  one  leg  without  losing 
her  balance. 

When  the  night  came  all  the  other  tin  soldiers  went  into 
their  box  and  the  people  of  the  house  went  to  bed.  Then 
the  toys  began  to  play  at  visiting,  dancing,  and  fighting. 
The  tin  soldiers  rattled  in  their  box,  for  they  wanted  to  be 
out  too,  but  they  could  not  raise  the  lid.  The  nut-crackers 
played  at  leap-frog  and  the  slate  pencil  ran  about  the  slate; 
there  was  such  a  noise  that  the  canary  woke  up  and  began 
to  talk  to  them,  in  poetry  too!  The  only  two  who  did  not 
stir  from  their  places  were  the  tin  soldier  and  the  little 
dancer.  She  remained  on  tiptoe,  with  both  arms  out- 
stretched; he  stood  steadfastly  on  his  one  leg,  never  moving 
his  eyes  from  her  face. 

The  clock  struck  twelve,  and  crack!  off  flew  the  lid  of  the 
snuff-box;  but  there  was  no  snuff  inside,  only  a  little  black 
imp — that  was  the  beauty  of  it. 

"  Hullo,  tin  soldier !  "  said  the  imp.  "  Don't  look  at  things 
that  aren't  intended  for  the  likes  of  you ! " 

But  the  tin  soldier  took  no  notice  and  seemed  not  to  hear. 

"  Very  well,  wait  till  to-morrow ! "  said  the  imp. 

When  it  was  morning  and  the  children  had  got  up,  the 
tin  soldier  was  put  in  the  window;  and  whether  it  was  the 
wind  or  the  little  black  imp  I  don't  know,  but  all  at  once 
the  window  flew  open  and  out  fell  the  little  tin  soldier, 
head  over  heels,  from  the  third-story  window!  That  was  a 
terrible  fall,  I  can  tell  you !  He  landed  on  his  head  with  hia 
leg  in  the  air,  his  gun  being  wedged  between  two  paving- 
atones. 

The  nursery-maid  and  the  little  boy  came  down  at  once 
to  look  for  him,  but  though  they  were  so  near  him  that  they, 
almost  trod  on  him,  they  did  not  notice  him. 

Soon  it  began  to  drizzle;  then  the  drops  came  faster  and 
there  was  a  regular  downpour.  When  it  was  over  two  little 
street-boys  came  along. 

"  Just  look !  "  cried  one.  "  Here  is  a  tin  soldier !  He  shall 
sail  up  and  down  in  a  boat ! " 

So  they  made  a  little  boat  out  of  newspaper,  put  the  tin 
soldier  in  it,  and  made  him  sail  up  and  down  the  gutter; 


328         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

both  the  boys  ran  along  beside  him,  clapping  their  hands. 
What  great  waves  there  were  in  the  gutter,  and  what  a 
swift  current!  The  paper  boat  tossed  up  and  down,  and 
in  the  middle  of  the  stream  it  went  so  quick  that  the  tin 
soldier  trembled;  but  he  remained  steadfast,  showed  no 
emotion,  and  looked  straight  in  front  of  him,  shouldering 
his  gun.  All  at  once  the  boat  passed  under  a  long  tunnel 
that  was  as  dark  as  his  box  had  been. 

"  Where   can   I   be   coming   now  ? "   he  wondered.     "  Oh, 
dear!     This  is  the  black  imp's  fault!    Ah,  if  only  the  little 


DOWN  •  ••TKE~rDKA)N- 


lady  were  sitting  beside  me  in  the  boat,  it  might  be  twice  as 
dark  for  all  I  should  care ! " 

Suddenly  there  came  along  a  great  water-rat  that  lived  in 
the  tunnel. 

"  Have  you  a  passport? "  asked  the  rat. 

But  the  tin  soldier  was  silent  and  grasped  his  gun  more 
firmly. 

The  boat  sped  on  and  the  rat  behind  it.  Ugh!  how  he 
showed  his  teeth  as  he  cried  to  the  chips  of  wood  and  straw: 
"Hold  him!  hold  him!  he  has  not  paid  the  toll!  He  has 
not  shown  his  passport ! " 

But  the  current  became  swifter  and  stronger.  The  tin 
soldier  could  already  see  daylight  where  the  tunnel  ended, 
but  in  his  ears  there  sounded  a  roaring  enough  to  frighten 
any  brave  man.  Only  think!  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel  the 
gutter  discharged  itself  into  a  great  canal;  that  would  be  as 
dangerous  for  him  as  for  u«  to  go  down  a  waterfall. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


329 


N"ow  he  was  so  near  to  it  that  he  could  not  hold  on  any 
longer.  On  went  the  boat,  the  poor  tin  soldier  keeping 
himself  as  stiff  as  he  could :  no  one  should  say  of  him  after- 
ward that  he  had  flinched.  The  boat  whirled  three,  four 
times  round  and  became  filled  to  the  brim  with  water:  it 
began  to  sink!  The  tin  soldier  was  standing  up  to  his  neck 
in  water,  and  deeper  and  deeper  sank  the  boat  and  softer 
and  softer  grew  the  paper ;  now  the  water  was  over  his  head. 
He  was  thinking  of  the  pretty  little  dancer,  whose  face 
he  should  never  see  again,  and  there  sounded  in  his  ears, 
over  and  over : 

"  Forward,  forward,  soldier  bold! 
Death's  before  thee,  grim  and  cold! " 

The  paper  came  in  two  and  the  soldier  fell — but  at  that 
moment  he  was  swallowed  by  a  great  fish. 

Oh!  how  dark  it  was  inside,  even  darker  than  in  the  tun- 
nel, and  it  was  really  very  close  quar- 
ters!    But  there  the  steadfast  little 
tin  soldier  lay  full  length,  shoulder- 
ing his  gun. 

Up  and  down  swam  the  fish;  then 
he  made  the  most  dreadful  contor- 
tions and  became  suddenly  quite  still. 
Then  it  was  as  if  a  flash  of  lightning 
had  passed  through  him ;  the  daylight 
streamed  in  and  a  voice  exclaimed: 
"Why,  here  is  the  little  tin  soldier! " 
The  fish  had  been  caught,  taken  to 
market,  sold,  and  brought  into  the 
kitchen,  where  the  cook  had  cut  it 
open  with  a  great  knife.  She  took 
up  the  soldier  between  her  finger  and 
thumb  and  carried  him  into  the  room, 
where  everyone  wanted  to  see  the  hero 
who  had  been  found  inside  a  fish;  but 
the  tin  soldier  was  not  at  all  proud. 
They  put  him  on  the  table,  and — no, 
but  what  strange  things  do  happen 

in  this  world! — the  tin  soldier  was  in  the  same  room  in 
which  he  had  been  before!    He  saw  the  same  children  and 


330         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

the  same  toys  on  the  table,  and  there  was  the  same  grand 
castle  with  the  pretty  little  dancer.  She  was  still  standing 
on  one  leg  with  the  other  high  in  the  air;  she  too  was  stead- 
fast. That  touched  the  tin  soldier;  he  was  nearly  going  to 
shed  tin  tears;  but  that  woulcl  not  have  been  fitting  for  a 
soldier.  He  looked  at  her,  but  she  said  nothing. 

All  at  once  one  of  the  little  boys  took  up  the  tin  soldier 
and  threw  him  into  the  stove,  giving  no  reasons;  but  doubt- 
less the  little  black  imp  in  the  snuff-box  was  at  the  bottom 
of  this  too. 

There  the  tin  soldier  lay  and  felt  a  heat  that  was  truly 
terrible;  but  whether  he  was  suffering  from  actual  fire  or 
from  the  ardor  of  his  passion  he  did  not  know.  All  his 
color  had  disappeared.  Whether  this  had  happened  on 
his  travels  or  whether  it  was  the  result  of  trouble,  who  can 
say?  He  looked  at  the  little  lady,  she  looked  at  him,  and 
he  felt  that  he  was  melting;  but  he  remained  steadfast,  with 
his  gun  at  his  shoulder.  Suddenly  a  door  opened,  the  draught 
caught  up  the  little  dancer,  and  off  she  flew  like  a  sylph 
to  the  tin  soldier  in  the  stove,  burst  into  flames — and  that 
was  the  end  of  her!  Then  the  tin  soldier  melted  down  into 
a  little  lump,  and  when  next  morning  the  maid  was  taking 
out  the  ashes  she  found  him  in  the  shape  of  a  heart.  There 
was  nothing  left  of  the  little  dancer  but  her  gilt  rose,  burned 
as  black  as  a  cinder. 


BLOCKHEAD  HANS. 

Far  away  in  the  country  lay  an  old  manor-house  where 
lived  an  old  squire  who  had  two  sons.  They  thought  them- 
selves so  clever  that,  if  they  had  known  only  half  what  they 
thought  they  knew,  it  would  have  been  enough.  They 
both  wanted  to  marry  the  king's  daughter,  for  she  had  pro- 
claimed that  she  would  have  for  her  husband  the  man  who 
knew  best  how  to  choose  his  words. 

Both  prepared  for  the  wooing  a  whole  week,  which  was 
the  longest  time  allowed  them;  but,  after  all,  it  was  quite 
long  enough,  for  they  both  had  preparatory  knowledge,  and 
everyone  knows  how  useful  that  is.  One  knew  the  whole 
Latin  dictionary  and  also  three  years'  issue  of  the  daily  pa- 


THE   YELLOW   FAIRY   BOOK.  331 

per  of  the  town  off  by  heart,  so  that  he  could  repeat  it  all 
backward  or  forward,  as  you  pleased.  The  other  had  worked 
at  the  laws  of  the  corporation  and  knew  by  heart  what  every 
member  of  the  corporation  ought  to  know,  so  that  he  thought 
he  could  quite  well  speak  on  state  matters  and  give  his 
opinion.  He  understood,  besides  this,  how  to  embroider 
with  roses  and  other  flowers  and  scrolls,  for  he  was  very  ready 
with  his  fingers. 

"  I  shall  win  the  king's  daughter !  "  they  both  cried. 

Their  old  father  gave  each  of  them  a  fine  horse;  the  one 
who  knew  the  dictionary  and  the  daily  paper  by  heart  had 
a  black  horse,  while  the  other  who  was  so  clever  at  corpora- 


tion law  had  a  milk-white  one.  Then  they  oiled  the 
corners  of  their  mouths  so  that  they  might  be  able  to  speak 
more  fluently.  All  the  servants  stood  in  the  courtyard  and 
saw  them  mount  their  steeds,  and  here  by  chance  came  the 
third  brother;  for  the  squire  had  three  sons,  but  nobody 
counted  him  with  his  brothers,  for  he  was  not  so  learned  as 
they  were  and  he  was  generally  called  Blockhead  Hans. 

"Oh!   oh!"  said  Blockhead  Hans.     "Where  are  you  off 
to  ?    You  are  in  your  Sunday-best  clothes !  " 


332         THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK. 

"  We  are  going  to  court  to  woo  the  princess !  Don't  you 
know  what  is  known  throughout  all  the  countryside  ? " 
And  they  told  him  all  about  it. 

"  Hurrah !  I'll  go  too ! "  cried  Blockhead  Hans ;  and  the 
brothers  laughed  at  him  and  rode  off. 

"  Dear  father ! "  cried  Blockhead  Hans,  "  I  must  have  a 
horse  too.  What  a  desire  for  marriage  has  seized  me!  If 
she  will  have  me  she  will  have  me,  and  if  she  won't  have  me 
I  will  have  her." 

"  Stop  that  nonsense ! "  said  the  old  man.  "  I  will  not 
give  you  a  horse.  You  can't  speak;  you  don't  know  how 
to  choose  your  words.  Your  brothers!  Ah!  they  are  very 
different  lads !  " 

"  Well,"  said  Blockhead  Hans,  "  if  I  can't  have  a  horse 
I  will  take  a  goat  which  is  mine.  He  can  carry  me ! " 

And  he  did  so.  He  sat  astride  on  the  goat,  struck  his 
heels  into  its  side,  and  went  rattling  down  the  highroad 
like  a  hurricane. 

Hoppetty-hop !  what  a  ride !  "  Here  I  come !  "  shouted 
Blockhead  Hans,  singing  so  that  the  echoes  were  roused 
far  and  near.  But  his  brothers  were  riding  slowly  in  front. 
They  were  not  speaking,  but  they  were  thinking  over  all 
the  good  things  they  were  going  to  say,  for  everything  had 
to  be  thought  out. 

"Hullo!"  bawled  Blockhead  Hans;  "here  I  am!  Just 
look  what  I  found  on  the  road ! "  And  he  showed  them  a 
dead  crow  which  he  had  picked  up. 

"  Blockhead ! "  said  his  brothers,  "  what  are  you  going 
to  do  with  it?" 

"  With  the  crow  ?     I  shall  give  it  to   the  princess ! " 

"  Do  so,  certainly ! "  they  said,  laughing  loudly  and  rid- 
ing on. 

"  Slap !  bang !  here  I  am  again !  Look  what  I  have  just 
found !  You  don't  find  such  things  every  day  on  the  road !  " 

And  the  brothers  looked  round  to  see  what  in  the  world 
he  could  have  found. 

"  Blockhead ! "  said  they,  "  that  is  an  old  wooden  shoe 
without  the  top!  Are  you  going  to  send  that,  too,  to  the 
princess  ? " 

"  Of  course  I  shall ! "  returned  Blockhead  Hans ;  and  the 
brothers  laughed  and  rode  on  a  good  way. 


THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 


333 


"  Slap !  bang !  here  I  am !  "  cried'  Blockhead  Hans ;  "  better 
and  better — it  is  really  famous !  " 

"  What  have  you  found  now  ? "  asked  the  brothers. 

"  Oh,"  said  Blockhead  Hans,  "it  is  really  too  good!  How 
pleased  the  princess  will  be !  " 

"  Why ! "  said  the  brothers,  "  this  is  pure  mud,  straight 
from  the  ditch." 

"  Of  course  it  is ! "  said  Blockhead  Hans,  "  and  it  is  the 


best  kind !     Look  how  it  runs  through  one's  fingers !  "    And 
so  saying  he  filled  his  pockets  with  the  mud. 

But  the  brothers  rode  on  so  fast  that  dust  and  sparks  flew 
all  around,  and  they  reached  the  gate  of  the  town  a  good 
hour  before  Blockhead  Hans.  Here  came  the  suitors, 
numbered  according  to  their  arrival,  and  they  were  ranged 
in  rows,  six  in  each  row,  and  they  were  so  tightly  packed 
that  they  could  not  move  their  arms.  This  was  a  very 
good  thing,  for  otherwise  they  would  have  torn  each  other 
in  pieces,  merely  because  the  one  was  in  front  of  the  other. 


334        THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

All  the  country  people  were  standing  round  the  king's 
throne,  and  were  crowded  together  in  thick  masses  almost 
out  of  the  windows  to  see  the  princess  receive  the  suitors; 
and  as  each  one  came  into  the  room  all  his  fine  phrases 
went  out  like  a  candle! 

"  It  doesn't  matter !  "  said  the  princess.  "  Away !  out  with 
him!" 

At  last  she  came  to  the  row  in  which  the  brother  who 
knew  the  dictionary  by  heart  was,  but  he  did  not  know  it 
any  longer;  he  had  quite  forgotten  it  in  the  rank  and  file. 
And  the  floor  creaked  and  the  ceiling  was  all  made  of 
glass  mirrors,  so  that  he  saw  himself  standing  on  his  head, 
and  by  each  window  were  standing  three  reporters  and  an 
editor;  and  each  of  them  was  writing  down  what  was  said, 
to  publish  it  in  the  paper  that  came  out  and  was  sold  at  the 
street  corners  for  a  penny.  It  was  fearful,  and  they  had 
made  up  the  fire  so  hot  that  it  was  grilling. 

"  It  is  hot  in  here,  isn't  it  ? "  said  the  suitor. 

"  Of  course  it  is !  My  father  is  roasting  young  chickens 
to-day !  "  said  the  princess. 

"  Ahem !  "  There  he  stood  like  an  idiot.  He  was  not  pre- 
pared for  such  a  speech;  he  did  not  know  what  to  say,  al- 
though he  wanted  to  say  something  witty.  "  Ahem !  " 

"  It  doesn't  matter !  "  said  the  princess.  "  Take  him  out !  " 
and  out  he  had  to  go. 

Now  the  other  brother  entered. 

"  How  hot  it  is ! "  he  said. 

"  Of  course !  We  are  roasting  young  chickens  to-day ! " 
remarked  the  princess. 

"  How  do  you — um !  "  he  said,  and  the  reporters  wrote 
down,  "How  do  you — um." 

"  It  doesn't  matter ! "  said  the  princess.  "  Take  him 
out!" 

Now  Blockhead  Hans  came  in.  He  rode  his  goat  right 
into  the  hall. 

"  I  say !    How  roasting  hot  it  is  here !  "  said  he. 

"  Of  course !  I  am  roasting  young  chickens  to-day !" 
said  the  princess. 

"  That's  good !  "  replied  Blockhead  Hans.  "  Then,  can  I 
roast  a  crow  with  them  ? " 

"  With  the  greatest  of  pleasure !  "  said  the  princess ;  "  but 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY    BOOK. 


335 


have  you  anything  you  can  roast  it  in?  I  have  neither  pot 
nor  saucepan." 

"  Oh,  rather !  "  said  Blockhead  Hans.  "  Here  is  a  cook- 
ing implement  with  tin  rings,"  and  he  drew  out  the  old 
wooden  shoe  and  laid  the  crow  in  it. 

"  That  is  quite  a  meal ! "  said  the  princess ;  "  but  where 
shall  we  get  the  soup  from  ? " 

"  I've  got  that  in  my  pocket !  "  said  Blockhead  Hans.  "  I 
have  so  much  that  I  can  quite  well  throw  some  away ! "  and 
he  poured  some  mud  out  of  his  pocket. 

"  I  like  you !  "  said  the  princess.  "  You  can  answer  and 
you  can  speak,  and  I  will  marry  you.  But  do  you  know 


that  every  word  which  we  are  saying  and  have  said  has 
been  taken  down  and  will  be  in  the  paper  to-morrow?  By 
each  window,  do  you  see,  there  are  standing  three  reporters 
and  an  old  editor,  and  this  old  editor  is  the  worst,  for  he 
doesn't  understand  anything!"  But  she  only  said  this  to 
tease  Blockhead  Hans.  And  the  reporters  giggled  and  each 
dropped  a  blot  of  ink  on  the  floor. 

"  Ah !  are  those  the  great  people  ? "  said  Blockhead  Hans. 
"  Then  I  will  give  the  editor  the  best ! "  So  saying,  he 
turned  his  pockets  inside  out  and  threw  the  mud  right  in  his 
face. 


336         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

"  That  was  neatly  done !  "  said  the  princess.  "  I  couldn't 
have  done  it,  but  I  will  soon  learn  how  to ! " 

Blockhead  Hans  became  king,  got  a  wife  and  a  crown, 
and  sat  on  the  throne;  and  this  we  have  still  damp  from 
the  newspaper  of  the  editor  and  the  reporters — and  they  are 
not  to  be  believed  for  a  moment. 


A  STORY  ABOUT  A  DARNING  NEEDLE. 

There  was  once  a  darning  needle  who  thought  herself 
so  fine  that  she  believed  she  was  an  embroidery  needle. 

"  Take  great  care  to  hold  me  tight ! "  said  the  darning 
needle  to  the  fingers  who  were  holding  her.  "  Don't  let 
me  fall!  If  I  once  fall  on  the  ground  I  shall  never  be 
found  again,  I  am  so  fine !  " 

"  It  is  all  right ! "  said  the  fingers,  seizing  her  round  the 
waist. 

"  Look,  I  am  coming  with  my  train ! "  said  the  darning 
needle,  as  she  drew  a  long  thread  after  her;  but  there  was 
no  knot  at  the  end  of  the  thread. 

The  fingers  were  using  the  needle  on  the  cook's  shoe. 
The  upper  leather  was  unstitched  and  had  to  be  sewn  to- 
gether. 

"  This  is  common  work ! "  said  the  darning  needle.  "  I 
shall  never  get  through  it.  I  am  breaking!  I  am  break- 
ing !  "  And,  in  fact,  she  did  break.  "  Didn't  I  tell  you  so  ? " 
said  the  darning  needle.  "  I  am  too  fine !  " 

"  Now  she  is  good  for  nothing ! "  said  the  fingers ;  but 
they  had  to  hold  her  tight  while  the  cook  dropped  some 
sealing-wax  on  the  needle  and  stuck  it  in  the  front  of  her 
dress. 

"  Now  I  am  a  breastpin ! "  said  the  darning  needle.  "  I 
always  knew  I  should  be  promoted.  When  one  is  some- 
thing one  will  become  something ! "  And  she  laughed  to 
herself ;  you  can  never  see  when  a  darning  needle  is  laughing. 
Then  she  sat  up  as  proudly  as  if  she  were  in  a  state  coach 
and  looked  all  around  her. 

"  May  I  be  allowed  to  ask  if  you  are  gold  ? "  she  said  to 
her  neighbor  the  pin.  "You  have  a  very  nice  appearance 
and  a  peculiar  head,  but  it  is  too  small!  You  must  take 


THE  YELLOW  FAIEY  BOOK.         337 

pains  to  make  it  grow,  for  it  is  not  everyone  who  has  a 
head  of  sealing-wax."  And  so  saying,  the  darning  needle 
raised  herself  up  so  proudly  that  she  fell  out  of  the  dress 
right  into  the  sink  which  the  cook  was  rinsing  out. 

"  Now  I  am  off  on  my  travels ! "  said  the  darning  needle. 
"  I  do  hope  I  shan't  get  lost !  "  She  did  indeed  get  lost. 

"  I  am  too  fine  for  this  world ! "  said  she  as  she  lay  in  the 
gutter ;  "  but  I  know  who  I  am,  and  that  is  always  a  little 
gatisf  action ! " 

And  the  darning  needle  kept  her  proud  bearing  and  did 
not  lose  her  good-temper. 

All  kinds  of  things  swam  over  her — shavings,  bits  of 
straw,  and  scraps  of  old  newspapers. 

"  Just  look  how  they  sail  along !  "  said  the  darning  needle. 
"  They  don't  know  what  is  underneath  them !  Here  I  am 
sticking  fast!  There  goes  a  shaving  thinking  of  nothing  in 
the  world  but  of  itself,  a  mere  chip !  There  goes  a  straw — 
well,  how  it  does  twist  and  twirl,  to  be  sure !  Don't  think  so 
much  about  yourself,  or  you  will  be  knocked  against  a 
stone.  There  floats  a  bit  of  newspaper.  What  is  written 
on  it  is  long  ago  forgotten,  and  yet  how  proud  it  is!  I  am 
sitting  patient  and  quiet.  I  know  who  I  am,  and  that  is 
enough  for  me !  " 

One  day  something  thick  lay  near  her  which  glittered  so 
brightly  that  the  darning  needle  thought  it  must  be  a  dia- 
mond. But  it  was  a  bit  of  bottle-glass,  and  because  it 
sparkled  the  darning  needle  spoke  to  it  and  gave  herself  out 
as  a  breastpin. 

"  No  doubt  you  are  a  diamond  ?  " 

"  Yes,  something  of  that  kind ! "  And  each  believed  that 
the  other  was  something  very  costly;  and  they  both  said 
how  very  proud  the  world  must  be  of  them. 

"  I  have  come  from  a  lady's  workbox,"  said  the  darning 
needle,  "  and  this  lady  was  a  cook ;  she  had  five  fingers  on 
each  hand;  anything  so  proud  as  these  fingers  I  have  never 
seen!  And  yet  they  were  only  there  to  take  me  out  of  the 
workbox  and  to  put  me  back  again !  " 

"  Were  they  of  noble  birth,  then  ? "  asked  the  bit  of  bottle- 
glass. 

"  Of  noble  birth !  "  said  the  darning  needle ;  "  no  indeed, 
but  proud!  They  were  five  brothers,  all  called  '  Fingers.' 


338         THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK. 

They  held  themselves  proudly  one  against  the  other,  al- 
though they  were  of  different  sizes.  The  outside  one,  the 
Thumb,  was  short  and  fat;  he  was  outside  the  rank  and 
had  only  one  bend  in  his  back,  and  could  only  make  one  bow ; 
but  he  said  that  if  he  were  cut  off  from  a  man  that  he  was 
no  longer  any  use  as  a  soldier.  Dip-into-everything,  the 
second  finger,  dipped  into  sweet  things  as  well  as  sour  things, 
pointed  to  the  sun  and  the  moon,  and  guided  the  pen  when 
they  wrote.  Longman,  the  third,  looked  at  the  others  over 
his  shoulder.  Goldband,  the  fourth,  had  a  gold  sash  round 
his  waist ;  and  little  Playman  did  nothing  at  all  and  was  the 
more  proud.  There  was  too  much  ostentation,  and  so  I  came 
away." 

"  And  now  we  are  sitting  and  shining  here ! "  said  the 
bit  of  bottle-glass. 

At  that  moment  more  water  came  into  the  gutter;  it 
streamed  over  the  edges  and  washed  the  bit  of  bottle-glass 
away. 

"  Ah !  now  he  has  been  promoted ! "  said  the  darning 
needle.  "  I  remain  here ;  I  am  too  fine.  .  But  that  is  my 
pride,  which  is  a  sign  of  respectability! "  And  she  sat  there 
very  proudly,  thinking  lofty  thoughts. 

"I  really  believe  I  must  have  been  born  a  sunbeam,  I 
am  so  fine!  It  seems  to  me  as  if  the  sunbeams  were  al- 
ways looking  under  the  water  for  me.  Ah,  I  am  so  fine 
that  my  own  mother  cannot  find  me!  If  I  had  my  old  eye 
which  broke  off  I  believe  I  could  weep;  but  I  can't — it  is 
not  fine  to  weep !  " 

One  day  two  street-urchins  were  playing  and  wading  in 
the  gutter,  picking  up  old  nails,  pennies,  and  such  things. 
It  was  rather  dirty  work,  but  it  was  a  great  delight  to  them. 

"  Oh !  oh ! "  cried  out  one  as  he  pricked  himself  with  the 
darning  needle ;  "  he  is  a  fine  fellow,  though !  " 

"  I  am  not  a  fellow ;  I  am  a  young  lady ! "  said  the  darn- 
ing needle;  but  no  one  heard.  The  sealing-wax  had  gone 
and  she  had  become  quite  black;  but  black  makes  one  look 
very  slim,  and  so  she  thought  she  was  even  finer  than  before. 

"  Here  comes  an  egg-shell  sailing  along ! "  said  the  boys, 
and  they  stuck  the  darning  needle  into  the  egg-shell. 

"  The  walls  white  and  I  black — what  a  pretty  contrast  it 
makes ! "  said  the  darning  needle.  "  Now  I  can  be  seen  to 


THE   YELLOW    FAIRY   BOOK.  339 

advantage!  If  only  I  am  not  seasick!  I  should  give  myself 
up  for  lost !  " 

But   she  was  not   seasick  and   did  not  give  herself  up. 

"  It  is  a  good  thing  to  be  steeled  against  seasickness ;  here 
one  has  indeed  an  advantage  over  man!  Now  my  qualms 
are  over.  The  finer  one  is,  the  more  one  can  bear." 

"  Crack !  "  said  the  egg-shell  as  a  wagon  -wheel  went  over 
it. 

"  Oh !  how  it  presses !  "  said  the  darning  needle.  "  I  shall 
indeed  be  seasick  now.  I  am  breaking !  "  But  she  did  not 
break,  although  the  wagon-wheel  went  over  her;  she  lay 
there  at  full  length,  and  there  she  may  lie. 


THB  EMX 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


RECEIVED 


ic 


TRlECD" 

MAY  2  4 


LD  21A-50m-8,'61 
fC1795slO)476B 


General  Library 
University  of  California 


YB  20024 


903951 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


